Master's Tea with Mayor John DeStefano Jr.

BY KANIKA CHANDER

On Tues. Nov. 27, New Haven Mayor John DeStefano Jr. spoke at a Master's Tea sponsored by Branford Master Steven Smith. Rather than reciting pre-written catch phrases and campaign slogans, DeStefano carried on a down-to-earth "chat" about his plans to improve New Haven and to target the city's many shortcomings.

When asked about his most immediate plans for the city and the "rebuilding" of the downtown area, DeStefano answered, "although I care what the Chapel Square Mall looks like, I measure this city's success by the quality of its education, especially pre-K programs."

While there is tremendous concern over giving the lower Chapel area a "facelift", to DeStefano, the need to improve New Haven's early education system is more immediate. He claimed that the best predictor of one's level of educational achievement is his or her mother's level of education. In creating a "pre-K plan" that stresses social as well as educational curriculum for toddlers, the mayor aims to reduce the inevitability of this theory.

Despite the focus of education in his talk, DeStefano did not leave the matter of renovating the downtown area untouched. He stressed that major renovations are necessary for those inefficient or "aesthetically painful" buildings, in particular those built in the 1960's. "The pre-WWII buildings are the best structures downtown, but the big boxes of the 60's just suck," DeStefano said.

DeStefano commented on the role of New Haven in a Yalie's college experience. Pointing out the essential difference between our city and many of its surrounding suburbs, he stressed the value of New Haven's vast economic diversity, "we are different from the suburbs because we choose to let everyone live here." He used the example that a landowner of one acre can rent out 22 units of living space, while in wealthier suburbs such as Orange, one must own two acres before they can even rent out a single unit.

DeStefano stressed the importance of maintaining what he considers a "real-world environment" through urban policy. "The advantage in attending school in New Haven, as opposed to say, Princeton, is that you live in an environment that is a lot like the outside world," DeStefano said. He encouraged Yale students to take advantage of its varied composition, "you decide how you want to spend these years, but remember that there is a lot to explore and to learn about yourself and others." DeStefano concluded his informal talk by acknowledging public service to be one of the "greatest forms of expression."