It is a refreshing sign of healthy activism that students are running for the East Lansing City Council. While The State News has not selected endorsements for this election, we applaud the efforts of communication senior Joey Marcus and Jared Rapp, a general business administration and pre-law junior.
Marcus and Rapp are running for the Nov. 4 election as write-in candidates. The two said they want to give students a voice on the council.
Rapp said the city council does not represent the city's diversity and that there needs to be better communication between students and city officials.
These are respectable causes and students should listen to Marcus' and Rapp's platforms, just as they should listen to the platforms of every individual running.
Their efforts should inspire students everywhere to take action in issues that affect them.
Unfortunately, the odds are against almost every student who chooses to take on the large task of running for a seat on city council.
Marcus and Rapp face a difficult situation, not just because they are students, but because they are write-in candidates.
The two must realize that they are asking students not only to actually turn out to vote but to vote for candidates whose names are not even on the ballot.
The East Lansing City Council doesn't just deal with student affairs.
In fact, Mayor Pro Tem Sam Singh said student issues only take up about 10 percent of the council's time, while the rest of its time is spent on affairs such as roads, waste management and the budget.
But that isn't saying Marcus and Rapp aren't serious about running.
They should be recognized for their efforts, such as the 2,000 voter-registration forms they collected by mingling with students at tailgates and manning a booth at Breslin Center during the Sept. 24 Red Hot Chili Peppers concert.
The two also plan to spend about $2,000 on their campaign by drawing from their own savings accounts.
Alan Mond, their campaign manager, said they will send out flyers, set up booths in Wells Hall, meet with students in the dorms and campaign door-to-door to off-campus and permanent East Lansing residents.
"It's a good time for people to step up and take lead," Mond, a mechanical engineering junior, said. "We want students to have a say in East Lansing."
Having a student voice in the East Lansing government has always been a hot topic.
Students have run for city council in the past, but so far there has been only one student actually voted into a seat.
The State News has not taken a position endorsing anyone running in the Nov. 4 election but encourages all students to listen to the messages of all potential representatives.
Marcus and Rapp have set an excellent example for the rest of the student body - that activism certainly does a better job of getting attention than apathy.
