Railroad Square Art District. Blueprint Intergovernmental Agency. Apalachicola National Forest. Leon County and Tallahassee commissions.
When I first moved to Tallahassee to pursue my undergraduate degree at Florida State University, none of those places or panels meant anything to me; I hadn’t heard about them. I moved to Tallahassee to get my degree in four years and then leave. I never envisioned living in Tallahassee past my time at Florida State because I’d never heard about the local politics and the beautiful nature that fills the county and city.
I fell into the common student mindset: “I’m only here temporarily, so why bother with local politics or community issues? My voice won’t matter once I leave. There is nothing here besides the colleges.”
Trust me, it's a challenge to break through this mindset and show students why their involvement in local issues is crucial, even if their stay here is temporary. But the awakening reality is that young votes matter; they are connected to our education, student housing accessibility, rent, and safety during late nights on and off campus.
During my undergraduate journey, I’ve attended and hosted various events on campus relating to voter education, registration, and general “why young voters should care.” What often stumped me, and still does, is that students in Tallahassee have the beautiful opportunity to live in our state’s capital. With access to our elected officials, the ability to push for positive change is at our doorstep.
The desire for political change, education, and advocacy is present on campus, but the mindset of wanting to leave Tallahassee always triumphs over this. And now that I still live in Tallahassee, I’ve discovered the intricate workings of our environmental treasures and how they connect to local elected officials.
For example, the environmental challenges facing Lake Munson would upset and inspire students to care and act if they were more informed. Because of this, I'm grateful to be part of The Big Bend Environmental Forum (BBEF), a coalition that brings together local and state candidates to discuss environmental issues and climate change.
Free and open to the public, the forum held on Tuesday, August 6, will feature the candidates for Leon County superintendent of schools and Tallahassee City Commission seats 1 and 2.
The event will be held at the King Life Sciences Building on the FSU Campus (319 Stadium Drive.). It begins with a meet-and-greet of the candidates at 5:15, then the forum runs from 6 to 8 p.m.
Whether you’re a student concerned about our schools' environmental footprint, a parent worried about local sustainability efforts, or a resident advocating for more sustainable growth policies, your presence and questions matter.
I encourage everyone who cares about the future of our beautiful region to mark their calendars.
Check out bbef.org for more information.
Samantha Kaddis represents The CLEO Institute as one of 17 member organizations that make up the Big Bend Environmental Forum.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION
Send letters to the editor (up to 200 words) or Your Turn columns (about 500 words) to letters@tallahassee.com . Please include your address for verification purposes only, and if you send a Your Turn, also include a photo and 1-2 line bio of yourself. You can also submit anonymous Zing!s at Tallahassee.com/Zing. Submissions are published on a space-available basis. All submissions may be edited for content, clarity and length, and may also be published by any part of the USA TODAY NETWORK.
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Upcoming environmental forum seeks to spark student interest
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