Mike Farris:
This election season, we’ll be voting on more than just a new president—there’ll be state elections, which will decide issues and policies that go far beyond national politics. Dr. King, why is it important for students to be actively involved in state and local government, as well? And how can they do that?

Dr. Stephen King:
Well, it’s very important, Dr. Farris, to be involved in state and local government. First of all, they are the closest to the people. What do I mean by this? That we live in our communities, and we live in our states, and they are the ones who represent us in that jurisdiction. So we’re closer to our own state and local governments, largely, than we are to Washington, D.C. Secondly, we have a lot of opportunities to have our voice heard and a lot of ways for us to participate. And thirdly, I think it just really helps us build true community.

So how do we do this? What are some ways that we can get involved? Students can get involved just as much as parents can: sitting on a board, sitting on a commission, visiting a council meeting, hearing a school board meeting in action. More importantly, Dr. Farris, be an active learner. We need to learn how to learn. We need to be involved. That means communicating with not only ourselves, our parents, the next-door neighbor, but also with the mayor or the city manager or the governor or our state legislatures.

Mike:
The election this year will have a lot of choices. It’s important for us to be involved at every level. I’m Mike Farris.