The city council is a link from students to a government that might or might not make decisions that directly affect students. Voting allows students to control that link.

Although it’s too late to register to vote for this city council election, students who already are registered to vote in East Lansing should do so.

The city council is responsible for recent legislation that directly affects students, such as the ordinance that cracks down on lingering party litter. Identifying and voting for candidates whose views are in line with what one thinks regarding local issues is the appropriate way to express any feelings of irritation or anger with the city of East Lansing.

One of the biggest issues the new city council will face is finding a new city manager in the coming months. The city manager helps set the tone for the relationship between permanent East Lansing residents and students, which can have a large impact on the way students live.

We’d like to stress the fact that students should educate themselves about the candidates so they can make the best decision based on the criteria they see fit to apply.

With that said, a few candidates’ positions on issues attracted the editorial board’s attention because of issues their relevance to students.

Don Power, a new candidate, intrigued the editorial board because of his constructive criticism of the way the city council has handled issues in East Lansing. He was openly critical of the handling of City Center II and the original language of the medical marijuana ordinance. He’s involved in the East Lansing community as a leading member of the East Lansing Citizen’s Alliance, a group whose stated goal is to “improve citizen awareness of critical issues facing our local governments,” according to a release issued in April.

Incumbent Councilmember Nathan Triplett also is an appealing candidate because of his cognizance of issues that matter to students. His youth and the fact that Triplett is a law student at MSU’s College of Law make him the candidate who ideally would best represent a student’s mindset.

The editorial board’s final choice for city council is incumbent Councilmember Roger Peters. Peters would bring continuity and experience to a city council that could soon see a great deal of change. That familiarity with how the city operates is what endears him the most to us.

The election is an opportunity for students to help make the changes they wish to see in East Lansing. Students who are eligible to vote should make an informed vote that they think will better the East Lansing community.