The Associated Students of Pasadena City College are hosting a Mayoral Candidate Forum focusing on issues affecting the student body including the possibility of expanding education and work-study opportunities, parking infrastructure and transportation.
Scheduled for Thursday, February 26 in the Creveling Lounge from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., candidates will have the opportunity to give an opening statement about issues they believe are important to the student community. They will answer preselected questions from the student body and students attending the forum can submit a question at the time of the event for possible selection.
Chief Justice Ryan Liu of the Associated Students said that they decided on a forum format as opposed to a debate as a way to give students a chance to ask questions important to them and meet the candidates in an atmosphere more conducive to conversation.
“There are already a lot of debates going on in the city that are more—I don’t want to say confrontational—but they are more focused on rebuttal analysis,” said Liu. “What we wanted to do was put together a forum where students would have access to—potentially—their elected mayor. So we’re going to make it a lot more cordial. It’s going to be a lot more talking about issues that are important to the student population.”
Julian Ramirez is an English major at PCC who plans to vote in the March city election as a newly minted voter, having just turned 18. Ramirez didn’t know about the Candidate Forum being held at PCC but feels it is important for students to attend.
“I think it is important to see people who are running for something as important as mayor. It’s good for you to just sit there and listen to what they want to do and what their plans are,” said Ramirez. “You should go and inform yourself.”
Ross McFarland, a 24-year-old History major at PCC and Tujunga resident, feels students should attend the forum although he has personally never voted in a city election.
“It’s a good opportunity for people to actually experience local government, so even if they are not from Pasadena it’s a good experience,” said McFarland. “My reasons when I was younger [for not voting]— I just wanted to stick it to the man. Now I’m more kind of switching the way I feel about it and I haven’t switched far enough to actually take the initiative to go vote.”
Associated Students President Jordyn Orozco thinks that students should get involved regardless if they are from Pasadena, as their voices are heard in local government.
“Pasadena has only one college district. We are the only college students that local politicians will hear,” said Orozco. “It’s ownership of making sure that you are doing all that you can to make a difference.”
Pending confirmation from candidates Don Morgan and Terry Tornek, the forum will host all six candidates running for the position of Pasadena Mayor in 2015, including PCC Board Member Bill Thomson.
PCC political science professor David Uranga will be delivering the opening remarks. A meet and greet with the candidates will follow the forum.
The Pasadena Mayoral Election is on March 10.
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