It’s all over, folks. Another local election that most students probably had no clue was happening is in the books. Not surprisingly, incumbent Paul Soglin won by a large margin. Madisonians’ mustachioed mayor is back for at least four more years. For those of you that have read my articles in the past (I’m of course referring solely to my mom and dad), you’ll know that I am a fan of the mayor. His intellectual capabilities and inherent Madison-ness make him the ideal leader of our community. However, while I am overjoyed by the incumbent’s victory, there is one area that was, perhaps rightly, overshadowed in the campaign that I would like him and the Common Council to address moving forward: student life.
As I said, it is not shocking that this didn’t get much mention in the discourse of the campaign. Issues like equity and homelessness have been more relevant in the news, and a candidate’s stance on them should probably be the primary determinant of whether or not they receive support. Beyond this, students don’t vote. Politically it makes no sense to cater yourself to a group that doesn’t care enough to even know when the polls are open, let alone make the effort to go to them. In saying this, the student body here and at the other colleges within Soglin’s constituency deserve to be more considered when our local government implements policy.
In terms of specifics, I would love to see Soglin step up as an advocate. While he doesn’t have any concrete legislative clout at the state or national level, he definitely has notoriety. This is not to say that he has been silent; the mayor has consistently voiced his disapproval of measures taken by Republican leaders in our state to slowly dismantle the UW System. He could do more, though. Soglin has seen his children go through college. I know for a fact that he appreciates the struggles students go through, both financially and academically, and I would like to see him speak out on issues like that more consistently.
Beyond this, Mayor Soglin has expressed interest in other issues pertinent to students, such as bringing non-alcoholic youth entertainment venues back to the downtown area. There is, of course, a big difference between referencing this while talking to a group of students during a campaign, and actually working to achieve it. While I am not sure what a venue of this nature would look like or what it would consist of, it would definitely provide a place for students who don’t drink, are under 21 or are just looking for a less expensive alternative to the bars for a night to join together in communion and enjoy themselves.
Ultimately, students are very easy to ignore. They cause trouble, they are among the least civically engaged groups of voters in the community and most of them will be gone sometime in the next four years. In saying this, at any given time they make up over 60,000 people in a city with a total population under 250,000. Regardless of whether or not most of us care, we do not deserve to be cast aside in city hall. We play an enormous role in the fate of Madison’s economy and we give the city much of the character that makes it renowned nationwide. I believe in Paul Soglin. He has been and will continue to be the right choice for Madison. I know he cares about the university and its students. I just want to make sure he shows it.
Max is currently a junior majoring in political science. What do you think of his perspective? Do you think Paul Soglin should do more for students in his next term? Do you disagree that he was the correct choice in this election? We would like to know what you think. Please send all thoughts and comments to opinion@dailycardinal.com.
