Sunday, May 17, 2009
Students and politics in Blacksburg
Christian Trejbal
Recent columns
- Baptists might leave downtown Blacksburg
- A theater rises between town and campus
- Making sense of local elections
- Voters have only themselves to blame
From the RoundTable blog
Half of the residents of Blacksburg have no voice on their town council, and that's just fine with the half who do. The silent majority are just Virginia Tech students, after all.
This time of year, many town residents release a collective sigh of relief as the school year ends.
Those who welcome the exodus think of students as disruptive outsiders, not real town residents. But they are real residents. They pay taxes -- directly when they eat out and indirectly through rent when they live off campus. They may register to vote. They are residents for census counts, redistricting and allocation of government resources. They live here most of the year and buoy the local economy.
It is in everyone's interest to improve relations with students, to hear what they want their community to be like.
Students ultimately have only themselves to blame for not seizing a seat or two on council. If they all registered to vote and turned out on Election Day, they could have whatever council they wanted. There are that many of them.
Thanks to an unusual electoral conjunction this could be the year things change.
Council last year decided to move its elections from May to November.
The spring election never was amenable to student schedules. If they had not left town by Election Day, they were wrapped up in finals, papers, warm weather and preparing for graduation. The November election, on the other hand, falls a good month before the end of term.
This year, more students are registered to vote, too. They signed up last year in droves to participate in a historic presidential election.
And most important, at least one Tech student and one recent graduate are collecting signatures to get on the ballot. Bryce Carter will be a senior next year, and Michael Sutphin graduated in 2006.
The Sutphin name is well known in the New River Valley. Michael chose to attend Tech in part because his father grew up in Blacksburg, and he still has family in the area. These days, he has a job as a writer for Tech's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
He loves the town, loves the area and plans to stick around.
His priorities as a candidate differ little from other candidates'. Revitalize downtown, promote sustainability and smart growth, expand public and alternative transportation, and increase citizen engagement. That last includes getting the town to work more closely with the university and its students.
Your thoughts
The difference between Sutphin and typical council candidates is that he has a real chance to build a bridge between town and campus.
"I could see myself as a voice for the 25-and-younger crowd," the soon-to-be 25-year-old said. "I could definitely represent younger voters."
Meanwhile, Bryce Carter, who hails from Fairfax Country, is not just close to students, he is one. His challenge during the campaign season will be convincing voters that he will be around after graduation for a full four-year term.
If he can clear that hurdle, he has much to offer, especially as someone who could help his council colleagues understand student concerns.
"First and foremost, I want to connect our community," he said. "I want to encourage cooperation and integration between the town and the university."
He believes students would take notice and become more invested in the community if one of their own were on council.
He is not a one-trick candidate, though. He envisions a Blacksburg that embraces Web 2.0 technology and environmentally sustainable initiatives even more than it already has.
"Blacksburg needs to become an example for Virginia," he said.
Maybe come November, when four council seats and the mayor's office will be up for grabs, better candidates will have emerged. For now, though, Sutphin and Carter are making the town's young people an issue. That is something in itself.
Natives and students differ in many ways, but together they form a single community best served by listening to each other, trusting each other and working together.
