On February 17th the City Council had its primary elections to determine who the ten candidates would be on the April 6th ballot for the City Council elections. With your support, I was able to collect over 2,300 votes and get past the primary. In the last primary election, only 270 people voted in Davies, but on the 17th, 896 ballots were cast. That is over a 300% increase in voter turn-out. During my campaign, I had people on multiple occasions sarcastically tell me, "Good luck on getting more than 200 students to vote." I chose not to listen to those comments. And in the end, this past election was a wake-up call to the community that students do care, and we will be heard.

With my win on February 17th, there is a growing momentum and excitement around my campaign, and I invite anyone who has not already joined this movement to come aboard and be a part of a movement that will have a real and lasting impact on UWEC and all of Eau Claire. For too long there has been division between UWEC and the rest of Eau Claire. It is time that this rift is healed and students be seen as equal members of the community. The only way students can get the respect that we deserve is to show the city that we do care about our community--that we care enough to vote.

To help improve Eau Claire and build a bridge between the University and the community, I have become the first candidate to support the "Eau Claire Good Citizens Act." This proposal will make donating food easier so that more shelters and food pantries will have more supplies to help those in need. On the student level, this Act helps give students the opportunity to connect with members of the community and gain Service Learning by organizing trash pick-up events and helping the elderly and disabled shovel snow off their sidewalks. While this may not sound like much, we must do everything we can to help others in need, and this Act is a simple and easy way to help people make a profound difference in the lives of people who need it.

In addition to supporting the "Eau Clare Good Citizens Act," I will work to improve the parking situation on campus. I believe that that the bus service has done wonders in helping get students to classes without needing to drive. We can work to improve our bus system to help in this even more. Also, I have been told that building a parking ramp is not economically feasible for the University, but my campaign is looking into possible solutions for this. Off campus parking in the Third Ward can be alleviated without the need to ban parking, and my campaign offers real solutions.

Recently, the issue of when fraternities and sororities can and cannot meet has been brought to question. Yet our first amendment guarantees all citizens (including college students) the right to peacefully assemble. Denying anyone their constitutional rights is wrong, and I will fight to abolish this ordinance and stop having people in fraternities and sororities being treated like second class citizens.

On March 3rd, today, there will be a meeting at the American Legion (634 Water Street) where people can meet some of the candidates running for City Council one on one and ask questions. The time is 4pm-8pm and people are welcome to come in at any time. There will be food and drinks provided, so bring as many friends as possible and bring your appetite. The cost is only $5, and I can guarantee you will get your money's worth. Proceeds will go towards Independents for City Council. Please come and ask questions, get involved in local politics, and show your support for Buchanan for City Council.