Students picked up s’mores and D.C. voter registration forms in Red Square Monday night as part of several students’ campaign platform disscusions. Campaign Georgetown, a group which encourages student participation in local politics, sponsored the event to promote the campaigns of three sophomores running for the Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2E.
Monday marked the beginning of the last week of voter registration before the Nov. 5 election.
Michael Glick (CAS ‘05), Michael Griffin (CAS ‘05) and Eric Lashner (CAS ‘05) discussed their joint campaign platforms as they prepare for the November elections. All three are members of Campaign Georgetown.
The joint publicity was intended to emphasize that the candidates will work together if elected to the ANC.
The candidates and Campaign Georgetown also stressed the importance of registering and voting in the District.
“[Students] live here nine months out of the year,” Griffin said. “Lots of issues affect students, from trash laws and parking issues to tenants’ rights. Without students registering to vote in D.C., they cannot have a voice in local politics.”
Issues that the candidates plan to focus on are student rights, public safety and improving the quality of life for all Georgetown residents. Within each 2E district the three candidates said they will focus on specific areas of concern in relation to the general issues discussed on Sunday.
“I want to focus my term on encouraging student responsibility,” said Glick.
Glick is running for election in district 2E04, the only all-student district in ANC 2E.
Although 1,750 students currently live in Glick’s district, that number is expected to jump to an estimated 2,500 once the South West Quadrangle is completed, he said.
Plans to promote student ideals as well as improve on-campus residence life and social options are on the table for the upcoming term, Glick said.
Both Griffin and Lashner are competing for spots against Georgetown residents. Although some students live in Griffin and Lashner’s districts, the majority of the voters they will have to court are non-students.
Non-student residents of the ANC 2E district have criticized student representation in the past, claiming that students’ interests differ markedly from other residents and that students are unable to effectively represent other constituents.
“That’s prepostrous,” said ANC Commissioner Justin Wagner (CAS ‘03). “All the time people represent other constituencies. The ANC Commissioners who have been students have done a tremendous job,” Wagner said.
Georgetown is a community with many constituencies, including students, other residents and local businesses, Wagner said.
“I feel Georgetown residents should take us seriously because I’m a resident of this community,” said Lashner, in response to this criticism.
“Most Georgetown students I know consider themselves part of the community and part of D.C.,” Lashner said.
