Editor's note: This is the fifth in a five-part series to reintroduce the people who run East Lansing. Two council members, Bill Sharp and Vic Loomis, are up for re-election this fall.
Sam Singh, East Lansing's mayor pro tem, said he joined the East Lansing City Council to bring a youthful perspective to a sometimes out-of-touch governing body.
He is an MSU graduate who also ran and lost for a seat on the council while attending the university.
In an area where tensions between the student body and the city have the potential to run high, Singh said he wants to help the other council members see a more diverse spectrum when it comes to student issues.
"If you don't have those perspectives at the table, then you don't hear certain issues," he said.
Although not up for re-election until 2007, Singh said he likes to see turnover in the city's government, adding he might not run for council in the next election.
Casey Hof, a psychology and criminal justice senior, said having younger members on the City Council is beneficial to students.
"There are so many young people that need representation," she said. "I think students' issues need to be brought up - there are 46,000 of us in East Lansing."
Other students felt the council should go farther in its attempts to reach out to a younger audience.
"They need some type of institution that could get in touch with the students and their ideas," English freshman Erich Haezebrouck said.
Singh said he is going to work to keep the students' voices a part of the council's discussions, but in a place like East Lansing, it's often difficult to gauge what people are saying over time.
In addition to his council responsibilities, Singh also dedicates himself to other forms of public service. The work Singh did in a service-learning program at MSU led him to head the Michigan Nonprofit Association.
The Michigan Nonprofit Association is band of about 800 charities located throughout the state that provides a presence at the Capitol. As its president, Singh said he is responsible for working with association's board of directors and setting new policies into place.
