Educating the Fort Hays State University community and the\ncity of Hays about candidates and issues is the goal of a public forum for\ncandidates for the Hays City Commission and Hays USD 489 Board of Education on\nOct. 13.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The city commission forum will begin at 6 p.m. in\nBeach\/Schmidt Performing Arts Center on the FHSU campus. The BOE forum will\nbegin at approximately 7:30 p.m. that same evening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The forums will be broadcast live via Tiger Media Network\u2019s Facebook\npage<\/a>, at https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/tigermedianet<\/a>.\nThe forums also will be streamed on TMN\u2019s YouTube\npage<\/a>, https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/channel\/UCTIXUNR_XQP7TX183o_vxCw.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt is important that every student should take the\nopportunity to visit these forums and hear directly from the candidates on\nissues that not only involve the community, but affect the lives and college\nexperience of the students as well,\u201d said Kendra Clary, legislative affairs\ndirector of the FHSU Student Government Association. \u201cBy getting involved with\nour school board and city commission elections, we have the opportunity to\nchoose the right representation of our own values and needs as a community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The city commission forum features four candidates vying for\nthree positions. Samuel Allen, Reese Barrick, Shaun Musil and Sandy Jacobs will\nappear on the ballot for the Nov. 2 general election. Demetrius Chance will be\nlisted on the ballot as well, but he no longer lives in Hays.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Musil and Jacobs are incumbents. The top two vote-getters\nwill serve a four-year term, while the third-place finisher will serve a\ntwo-year term.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The BOE forum will feature candidates Ken Brooks, Casey\nHerrman, Cathy Hopkins, Thomas Wasinger, Curt Vajnar and Meagan\nZampieri-Lillpopp. Nuchelle Chance also will appear on the ballot but has moved\noutside the district.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Three candidates will fill seats on the board, as current\nmembers Mike Walker, Lance Bickle and Nuchelle Chance are not seeking\nre-election or not eligible for re-election.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The forums are possible thanks to a collective effort by the\nFHSU Student Government Association, the American Democracy Project, the\nDepartment of Political Science, Tiger Media Network, The Chamber in Hays,\nKansas, and the Docking Institute of Public Affairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIn order to\nmaintain the quality of life that we all enjoy in Hays and Ellis County, it will\nbe critical for area residents to participate in the election cycle this\nNovember,\u201d said Sarah Wasinger, president and CEO of the chamber. \u201cTackling\ninfrastructure needs and maintaining a quality educational K-12 system in Hays public\nschools and continuing to build on a solid foundation for our future as a city\nwill take intentional leadership. We encourage the public to attend the\nelection forum for Hays City Commission and USD 489 school board candidates so\nthey can make informed decisions on Nov. 2.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Candidates at each forum will answers questions from\nmoderators, and viewers will have an opportunity to submit their own questions\nvia social media platforms during the events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n