A forum hosted by students at Knox College last night aimed to bridge the gap between students of the school and residents of Galesburg.
About two dozen residents and students showed up. Some residents say they feel that students have a level of privilege and financial resources that other residents don’t have access to.
Knox College freshman Dani Nichols came from Colorado to attend Knox. She and her mother participated in the forum.
Diane Nichols says she’s concerned for her daughter after learning about incidents around campus.
Some female students at the forum said they’re scared to go off campus because they’ve heard gunshots and have been verbally harassed and sexually assaulted by men.
Dani Nichols says she heard a female student was groped at an off-campus convenience store and the stories scare her.
“I haven’t necessarily left campus a lot,” Nichols says. “Most of my uneasy feelings come from what other people have told me about how they are afraid to walk alone at night.”
The forum is part of the grassroots project Galesburg On Track. The project gathers stories and information from community members to figure out what kind of city residents want in the future.
Some participants last night said the city needs to get it’s pride back.
Other attendees felt the city needs more green spaces.
And several residents blamed Galesburg officials for relying more on consultants than residents and for not listening to the people they support.
