Why are you running for the City Council and what qualifications would you bring to the city?

Beverly Baten: My qualifications include leadership and listening skills, which I have honed over the last eight years. My experience and knowledge of the community are also contributing factors to being a qualifying candidate.

Diane Goddeeris: I’m using my skills as a nurse. The best thing about doing that as a nurse is there’s always problem solving. You make a plan, you react, you evaluate. Usually, as a nurse, you have to do that in a matter of moments.

Roger Peters: East Lansing has a long tradition as a thriving and vibrant community in many different respects, and it has a high level of quality services that it provides to its citizens, but we are going through difficult economic times. The primary reason that I’m running is because I’m committed to ensuring that we can continue the level of high quality services.

Nathan Triplett: I’m running for City Council simply because I’d like to give back to the community that’s given my wife Sarah and I so much. I think I offer a combination of experience and perspective that would be valuable to the East Lansing City Council.

Economy

In light of the state’s struggling economy, what is your take on protecting higher education funding?

BB: We need to support higher education funding as much as possible.

DG: MSU is just a key part of the city of East Lansing and we have to be working together to support each other. We’re looking at (decisions regarding higher education funding) as if we’re in it together.

RP: The House of Representatives just passed the most wide-ranging increase in aid for students since 1944. If enacted into law, it will provide the first substantial improvement in aid for students in several decades. I think that’s something to be encouraged about.

NT: Coming from my background as a legislative aide, I can tell you that I think it’s vital that local government officials like members of the City Council are advocating for adequate funding for higher education and advocating funding for K-12 education.

East Village

How do you feel about the role undergraduates will be taking in the East Village project, which will redevelop the area between East Grand River and Stoddard avenues, Bogue Street and the Red Cedar River?

BB: This is something we’ve been looking forward to. It’s an exciting thing we’re looking at for the community and hopefully many different age groups will be participating in it.

DG: I believe that underclassmen are key to live there, key to work there and key to be part of the development there.

RP: I think it’s important that undergraduates would not be forced out of that area. But … I don’t think that undergraduates will be given a short strip.

NT: I know there’s been a lot of concern on campus about the East Village project because it involves a substantial portion of student housing in the Cedar Village area. It’s important for undergraduate students as full-fledged members of the East Lansing community to stay involved in this process as the development moves forward.