The University Student Commission, or USC, of East Lansing serves as a venue for students to gather together and express their viewpoints on the policies and legislation in the city. The USC aligns students with East Lansing officials to ensure that students' interests are being properly represented.
The commission is fueled by student input, and in this age of youth apathy, student involvement is a scarcity.
It's easy to complain about East Lansing's policies on noise violations, alcohol consumption and property renting, but complaints that only resound within the walls of dorm rooms, apartments and houses don't stimulate any significant reform.
Students need to vent their discontent in a public setting, and the USC is the ideal location.
Commission members have noted one of the main difficulties is getting active young men and women to lobby on behalf of the student body.
With so much that can be improved in East Lansing, it's hard to believe how politically uninspired such a large student body is.
Think of those who lament over costly minor-in-possession charges and open-intoxication misdemeanors. If those students were to collaborate, they could actively create change in the city.
There is a wide range of issues that affect students, and too often the rule of these decisions lie in favor of East Lansing's older, permanent residents because they are more organized and more informed about local issues.
The students of MSU are the engine of this community, and just because they may only reside in East Lansing for four or five years does not mean they can't play a major role in shaping the policies that affect them.
One way to become an empowered citizen is to register to vote in East Lansing. The commission takes a strong stance advocating this. Besides, hometown politics should take the backseat while students are enrolled at MSU and are spending most of their year in East Lansing.
The USC holds meetings at 5:30 p.m., usually on the first and third Tuesday of every month in City Hall, 410 Abbott Road. The next meeting will be on Feb. 13. The commission can be contacted for any student-city interactions via e-mail through www.cityofeastlansing.com, under the tabs "City Government" and "Boards and Commissions."
