City Council comes to campus

Hattiesburg Ward 1 representative and City Council President Kim Bradley doesn’t think that the city does its part to support the University of Southern Mississippi, so he and the rest of the council decided to get actively involved on campus. 

One of their first steps in showing support for the university this semester happened Monday afternoon when the council moved its meeting to campus instead of holding it in City Hall downtown. 

“In my opinion, the city doesn’t do what we should to stand behind the university and promote it,” Bradley said after the meeting Monday. “To me, it’s the heart of our community, and we need to do more to recognize that and create more awareness about how important this university is to us.” 

The Monday meeting was only the first part of the event, which will be continued tonight when the council meets again at 5 p.m. in the Trent Lott Center to vote on a few things discussed Monday. A short presentation about the Midtown Project will follow. Bradley said the presentation would be a good thing for students to come hear. 

“As midtown grows, it’s going to become part of the university community,” Bradley said. “It’s going to compliment student life and the rest of the city and bring the two different entities together. It’s really going to be neat and change the life of this part of town.

Senior Ashleigh Johnson attended the Monday meeting and said she enjoyed getting to see her local government at work. 

“It’s so important for students to get involved in our local politics because it directly affects us,” Johnson said. “Everyone should take the opportunity because it is such a great learning experience.”

All students are invited to attend the meeting, which is scheduled to begin at 5 p.m. in the Trent Lott Center. 

Senior Ashton Pittman saw the meeting as a learning experience, one that is necessary for college students. 

“College is a place to learn more about the world around you and to learn how we interact with one another, including through government and as citizens of a Democracy,” Pittman said. “If you plan on having a career after college, politics will affect your life whether or not you choose to have an affect on politics.”

Ward 2 Councilwoman Deborah Delgado said moving the meeting to campus was the council’s way of supporting the university and encouraging involvement from students. 

“The university is a big part of Hattiesburg and certainly coming out of City Hall into West Hattiesburg is a good thing for us,” Delgado said. “We want the university to know that we embrace it and we want you involved in city government.”