Indeed, he says his perception of Harvard has not changed considerably since he left college.

"I have a positive view of Harvard as an institution. Harvard and the other major colleges and universities in the area make very important contributions to the economy, to medicine, to culture," Demakis says.

Demakis ascribes conflicts between Harvard and the community to an occasional forgetfulness on the part of the University.

"It is very important for [Harvard] to remember that they do have neighbors and that the neighbors want a certain quality of life--unchecked growth and development can impinge upon that," Demakis says.

So far, a life of politics appears to agree with Demakis, and he says he has no plans to leave the field anytime soon. His term runs out this year, and Demakis will be running for reelection.

However Demakis fears to make any long-term predictions.

"I don't have a grand plan for the future. I think that this is the best way to set yourself up for a big failure," Demakis says. "Politics is filled with the unexpected."