Civic Engagement Two

Mina Martin

22 October 2013

UCO 1200

Leadership & Legacy

Civic Engagement Two

Last night I attended the student government association's candidate forum for the upcoming elections. The candidates for the Boone town council and mayor spoke and answered questions about their platforms and the community for which they seek to represent and serve. There were six candidates for town council and four for mayor. Each candidate had the opportunity for a two minute opening statement, followed by two standard questions and a randomly assigned question for which they had forty five seconds to answer, and a two minute closing statement. The first question asked was about the relationship between the city of Boone and the university that the candidate believed should exist and the second one was what they believed to be the biggest issue facing Boone and the university at the moment.

Mr. Brantz was first to speak for the town council candidates. He is seeking reelection as an eight year veteran and long time Boone resident. His beliefs include that a cooperative relationship should exist between Appalachian State and Boone and that the biggest current issue is a water source for the town. Mr. David, an Appalachian State graduate, was next and he spoke about his support for environmental conservatism and a change in current noise ordinance laws. Mr. Long, like David, is an Appalachian alumnus who believes that the university and the town should work together toward common goals. The biggest issue facing Boone right now in his opinion is the limited parking and accessibility of downtown. Mr. Milner, a real estate agent and Appalachian graduate, thinks that the relationship between the university and town needs to be cultivated and that the needs of the university need to be met, including the high cost of housing which is what he believes to be the biggest issue for Boone. Mr. Templeton spoke last for the town council candidates and he believes that the students of Appalachian State need better opportunities now and in their future.

Due to a time constraint for a previously scheduled meeting, I was not able to stay and listen to the mayoral candidates speak. However, I wish I could have stayed so I could more accurately make an educated decision if I were to vote in the elections on November 5th. Many students attended this event and a lot of what the candidates spoke about was directed toward students. This kind of event is extremely helpful to learning both about the local government and the issues facing the town that we as students may not be aware of. I was hesitant to attend this event at first but after arriving and listening to what spoken about, I am very glad this was the civic engagement I chose to go to. I now feel more informed on local issues