UA students weigh in on mayoral race
James Baker
Issue date: 9/19/08 Section: News
As the election season heats up, one race that has been stuck in the shadows of the presidential election - as far as student interest is concerned - is the Fayetteville mayoral race, which features six candidates ranging from a UA student to a man who decided to run because of a parking ticket.
For many UA students, including nearly 4,000 out-of-state and international students, the ineligibility to vote for mayor because of not being registered in Fayetteville plays a major role in their apathy.
"[The mayoral race] is irrelevant because issues students care about which pertain to the university mayoral policies don't really delve into, and students can't vote, anyways," senior Mallory Sanders said.
To biology major Krystina Walker, the mayoral race is not only irrelevant because many out-of-state and in-state students are not registered to vote in Fayetteville, but because the position itself is irrelevant.
"The mayor doesn't do anything," Walker said.
Senior Drew Van Patter simply doesn't like the choices.
"I'm not impressed by any of the candidates," Van Patter said.
"I just wish Glenn Sowder would run again," he said, referring to the successful real-estate investor and former candidate who ran in 1992 in a bitter election involving current Fayetteville mayor, Dan Coody.
Candidates include Coody as the incumbent after reversing his decision to sit out the election, UA student Sami Sutton, Adam Fire Cat, Fayetteville alderman Lioneld Jordan, Walt Eilers and Steve Clark.
Although the mayoral race lacks the luster of the presidential race, other students have taken an interest in the election and see potential for fresh policies regarding such issues as the environment, city parks and the plan to rebound from the explosion of financial and municipal growth in Springdale, Rogers and Bentonville, which has forced the current administration to dip into the city cash reserve for the 2009 budget, Coody said in a debate.
For many UA students, including nearly 4,000 out-of-state and international students, the ineligibility to vote for mayor because of not being registered in Fayetteville plays a major role in their apathy.
"[The mayoral race] is irrelevant because issues students care about which pertain to the university mayoral policies don't really delve into, and students can't vote, anyways," senior Mallory Sanders said.
To biology major Krystina Walker, the mayoral race is not only irrelevant because many out-of-state and in-state students are not registered to vote in Fayetteville, but because the position itself is irrelevant.
"The mayor doesn't do anything," Walker said.
Senior Drew Van Patter simply doesn't like the choices.
"I'm not impressed by any of the candidates," Van Patter said.
"I just wish Glenn Sowder would run again," he said, referring to the successful real-estate investor and former candidate who ran in 1992 in a bitter election involving current Fayetteville mayor, Dan Coody.
Candidates include Coody as the incumbent after reversing his decision to sit out the election, UA student Sami Sutton, Adam Fire Cat, Fayetteville alderman Lioneld Jordan, Walt Eilers and Steve Clark.
Although the mayoral race lacks the luster of the presidential race, other students have taken an interest in the election and see potential for fresh policies regarding such issues as the environment, city parks and the plan to rebound from the explosion of financial and municipal growth in Springdale, Rogers and Bentonville, which has forced the current administration to dip into the city cash reserve for the 2009 budget, Coody said in a debate.
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