DeKalb residents should take advantage of the newly-formed focus groups.

Some residents and city alderman have pulled together to form groups that will help residents bring their concerns about their wards to the aldermen.

And although residents should be able to talk with their aldermen on their own, an organized group will narrow people’s concerns and give more support for those concerns.

Hopefully students also will take advantage of these groups for issues such as changing the wards which would result in less student representation. According to 1st Ward Ald. Amy Polzin, students already have talked about environmental and safety issues.

Polzin also mentioned that the students want to get together with the other groups from other wards to “synthesize expectations.” This is one of the primary benefits of these organizations—a unified front to tackle problems effectively.

The next problem to tackle is getting students and other residents involved. DeKalb elections were a prime example of what students cannot or do not want to do.

The aldermen should be congratulated for making an effort to find what bothers their constituents. DeKalb residents also should take their share of pats on the back for motivating the focus groups.

Now it is up to the rest of DeKalb to put those groups to best use.