The results are in: you voted, you spoke, and now Williamsburg City Council has its first student member.
Scott Foster’s ’10 win in yesterday’s election is a milestone in city politics. Students have always made up a significant portion of the city population, but have never rallied around a student candidate they way they have Foster. That his win came by such a wide margin only speaks to the fact that citizens — student and full-time resident alike — agree that he’s clearly the best choice for Williamsburg.
So we congratulate Foster on his win. Now it’s time to get to work. We hope that Foster makes an effort early to fulfill the promises on which he campaigned, and we hope he will be sincerely welcomed onto the council by its other members, including Doug Pons who also won.
We also would like to commend all those students who went out to vote, and there were plenty of you. Hopefully this serves as proof what students can accomplish with heartfelt ambition and a common goal to work toward.
But perhaps what’s most exciting is what this will mean for city politics in the future. Not only do students now have a clear advocate for their concerns, but the city must finally realize the impact students can have. We’ve often said that student issues would not be taken seriously by city councilmen until we proved we had influence at the ballot box. By turning out in substantial numbers in yesterday’s election, we proved we can and will take an active role in the governing of our city.
But we hope this new interest in city politics on the part of students is not taken as provocation on by other Williamsburg residents. The last thing we’d want now is for Foster’s election to create a backlash against students. Such a perception would short-sell Foster as a candidate, and create an unproductive air of contention. In reality, students want the same thing that every Williamsburg resident wants: what’s best for their city. As the polls show, we think Foster will provide just that.
