In a city where nearly half the residents are college students, one would think there would be at least one student representative in the local government. Unfortunately for the students of College Station, this is not the case.
Among those running is junior political science and history major Phil Shackelford, who is vying for one of the five seats on the council. Shackelford’s primary focus is the idea that students deserve to be represented in their local government. Shackelford’s experience, including serving the Student Senate as speaker pro-tempore and liaison to the Bryan City Council, Texas A&M College Republicans, Knights of Columbus, director of development for the Student Conference on National Affairs, founder of Texas Coalition For Student Affairs, member of the City Council’s Neighborhood ad-hoc Taskforce and a campaign crew chief for Chet Edwards for Congress, qualifies him to represent the student body. Shackelford also became an Eagle Scout at age 13. With so much experience, there is little doubt that Shackelford would be an excellent choice for a seat on the College Station City Council.
This past month, there was a great deal of commotion surrounding the election of our new student body president. Although the SBP position is a prestigious one, when it comes to issues such as the recent alcohol ban on the Northgate promenade, the SBP has absolutely no power. That is why it is imperative that a student be elected to a position that goes beyond the boundaries of the Texas A&M campus.
Without a student voice to oppose the council’s actions, it is very likely that it will soon pass a resolution that limits the number of unrelated persons living together to no more than three. This legislation is obviously aimed at students, and the council believes it would decrease the number of noise complaints filed each weekend. However, a student would know better, and by offering the perspective of those whom it affects, the council may decide on a more reasonable and effective policy.
On May 7, the elections for the College Station City Council will be held with the MSC serving as one of the polling places.