The Wake

Last October, this campus was overrun by insistent-voter-registration drives, rallying politicians, visiting celebrities, eager political science majors, and campaign buttons by the thousands. The university community was active, involved, aware and ready to vote. In short, we had election fever. But somehow this civic spirit has disappeared, as if we all awoke last fall from a dream, our frenzied activity evaporating away to be replaced with political apathy. Are we simply tired from our efforts and ready to wait out the next four years until we gear up again? There seems to be a profound lack of interest in this fall’s city elections. There are almost no signs this October that Minneapolis and St. Paul mayoral and city council elections will take place in a few short weeks.

Both candidates for Minneapolis mayor are members of the Minnesota Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party. R.T. Rybak, who had a surprisingly large victory in 2001 with his first run for office. Before moving to politics, Rybak spent years as a journalist for Twin Cities Reader and his career included the launch of a local gay and lesbian newspaper called Q monthly. He is an outspoken opponent of the war in Iraq.

Peter McLaughlin has spent his life in politics and community service, including his current role as Hennepin County Commissioner, and has recently worked extensively on Minneapolis’s new light rail developments. McLaughlin also spent time as a representative in the Minnesota Legislature.

Student turnout in the preliminary elections held Sept. 13 was very low. The university’s Minneapolis campus boasted some of the lowest turnout percentages in the city. While Ward 2, which includes the U and other areas of Minneapolis, averaged voter turnout of 13 percent, key U precincts were considerably lower. Precinct 2-11, which encompasses Superblock, had a turnout of 2 percent, while Dinkytown’s precinct 2-4 turned out 1 percent of all registered voters. Overall, Rybak won the primary election with 44 percent of the vote, while McLaughlin received 35 percent. The upcoming city elections may not bring Josh Hartnett and Ashton Kutcher to campus, but their outcomes will impact students’ lives. Students who live (or will live) off campus, are searching for jobs in the city, or use public transportation are particularly affected. Local government creates policy that directly affects city residents, including the student population, so it is essential for students to make themselves a part of the discussion.

In an effort to boost student interest and knowledge about the upcoming elections, MPIRG, MSA, Activote and the MN Youth Vote Coalition brought Minneapolis’s mayoral candidates to Coffman Union on Oct. 12 for a student-oriented debate. Debate organizers also handed out a voter guide (available at www.mpirg.org). “It’s a big push to get students out there and registered to vote,” says Regal Johnson, chair of the MPIRG Board of Directors, who moderated the debate. MPIRG wanted to bring the candidates on campus and have students ask questions so that the candidates would speak about student issues, says Johnson. The debate’s format allowed for a large amount of student input. Following a few standard questions, students were able to pose their own to the candidates.

The candidates were asked for their opinions on specific university issues and decisions, including the Gophers stadium and the closing of General College. Both Rybak and McLaughlin say they support the construction of an on-campus Gophers stadium, but they expressed concern over the costs. “I think that the student fees that have been proposed are too stiff,” McLaughlin says.

While the candidates seemed to share opinions on several issues, their views differed on the closing of General College. Rybak supported the closure, saying “we need something dramatically better and different.” McLaughlin, on the other hand, saw the closure as “a step in the wrong direction” and expressed disappointment over the university’s decision. “A great university has to have mechanisms in place that invite in the entire community and the General College was that mechanism. If we don’t provide access to our university, it will not be great,” he says.

Many of the evening’s questions were concerned with the stances and ideas of candidates on larger issues that face students, such as problems of limited housing and rising costs. “What we need to do is build much more housing on campus, make this much more of a resident campus, create a much richer student life right here,” Rybak says. It would benefit everyone by solving housing problems for students and opening up affordable housing in nearby communities that’s now being used for students, Rybak says.

McLaughlin agreed that the supply of housing and over-occupancy is a problem for campus. “It becomes a problem for the neighborhoods in and around the university. We don’t want to be in situations that are unsafe. We also need to work to make sure that housing costs don’t get out of control. That’s a question of supply and making sure that we provide additional housing options that are affordable in and around the university,” McLaughlin says.

Both candidates stressed their support for students, many of whom are facing difficult financial situations and uncertain futures. The combination of rising tuition costs, more expensive housing, and a problematic post-graduation job market has proved tricky for many students. “It’s a matter of keeping tuition at a reasonable level and finding job opportunities and internships that are available to all students. Providing jobs is about making sure that this community moves forward,” McLaughlin says. Rybak also emphasized the need to continue the growth of Minneapolis’s arts and entertainment community. “We also need to make sure we have a city that’s lively, a city that’s fun. People don’t want to live here just because they have a place that’s affordable, even though that’s important, or a great job. They want a city that’s exciting and vibrant and fun,” he says.

Both candidates highlighted the importance of student and youth participation in the political process, which seemed particularly noteworthy at an on-campus debate that was far from jam-packed with students. “It is essential that this next generation votes,” Rybak says. “It is important for students to understand that your future will be affected by the degree to which you vote and who you vote for,” McLaughlin says. “Politicians keep track of who votes and who doesn’t vote.”

The need for student involvement in the future of their communities didn’t end with last year’s presidential election, and this local election will determine a lot of the policy that will make real changes in students’ everyday lives. City elections for mayor and city council members (as well as members of various city boards) are Tuesday, Nov. 8. You can register to vote if you aren’t pre-registered, and polls are open from 7am to 8pm. To find your polling place in Minneapolis, visit . To find your polling place in St. Paul, visit .