During his campaign, he visited students in their dorms and encouraged them to vote — hopefully that focus on East Lansing’s student population will carry over into his work as a council member. It’s great to have someone from the same generation as most students who can offer balance to the otherwise veteran council.

Triplett’s concern for environmental issues, his position as vice chairman of the East Lansing Human Relations Commission and his work as a member of the Community Development Block Grant Advisory Committee will make him an experienced, diverse and valuable addition to the council.

Roger Peters received 24.3 percent of the vote. He may be new to City Council, but he’s no stranger to East Lansing. He’s an MSU alumnus and has lived here since 1978. He raised children here, spent four years on the East Lansing Planning Commission and served two terms as East Lansing Public Library Board of Trustees president.

Peters’ ideas about fiscal conservatism and cutting excess costs to the city will blend into a nice balance with Triplett.

Diane Goddeeris received the most votes — 28.7 percent. She’ll serve her first full term as a council member, and although she was first voted in just more than a year ago, her experience will help keep up the forward momentum within the council.

Beverly Baten was the incumbent with the longest tenure on the council. She was running for her third term and lost by about 4 percentage points, with 20.2 percent.

She noted this was a different kind of campaign from the last two she ran in, and the candidates this time around were more competitive.

However, Baten added that she’s happy with her time as a council member and her contributions. We’d like to thank her for serving the East Lansing City Council for eight years.

This was a great race and the people of East Lansing proved they were ready for some changes. However, as the old story goes, more people should have voted. In the last City Council election in 2005, 3,805 voters participated out of 27,321 registered voters — about 14 percent. Although more people were registered to vote in East Lansing this year — 29,965 — fewer people actually made it to the polls. At the end of the night just under 3,300 people voted in the city. That’s a paltry 11 percent.

It’s time to stop allowing others to decide who will make the decisions that affect all of us.

Let’s blow the numbers out of the water next time — East Lansing has a powerful student majority, and it’s time to make our presence felt. At least we have a talented, experienced and diverse City Council at work for the next two years.