Speak Up, Speak Out forum tackles community concerns
The Mount Pleasant community will be open for discussion at the "CMU and the Community: Do We Share a Vision for the Future" forum Tuesday night.
The Speak Up, Speak Out event takes place inside of the Bovee University Center Auditorium at 7 p.m.
Political Science Associate Professor David K. Jesuit will be moderating a panel of community leaders from Central Michigan University, Union Township, Isabella County and the City of Mount Pleasant.
Student Government Association President and Montgomery senior Paul Pridgeon will be there to represent CMU students, alongside Isabella County diversity coordinator and graduate student Blossom Hill.
Mount Pleasant Mayor Jim Holton, Union Township Supervisor John Barker, Eric Johnson, professor of history and Vice Provost for Academic Affairs Catherine Riordan will also be part of the panel.
With so many different issues out there, Jesuit said, that he will ask questions that hopefully help the community promote economic development.
"It boils down to promoting economic development and growth in the community. We've got all theses issues," Jesuit said.
The forum will feature a 30-minute historical multimedia presentation about the area, by local author Jack Westbrook.
"Normally, I am doing this on big policy issues. This time, I am doing something local," he said
Jesuit said some of his questions will address the ways that the community can encourage people to not only work in Mount Pleasant, but also live here.
How the community serves the student population, and how the student population may or may not dictate or limit the community will also be addressed.
Johnson said the biggest thing that can come out of this meeting is the communication between the parties.
"I would hope that we would have a lot more cooperation between the groups, because we live in the same community," he said. "These groups don't get together that much and they need to."
Jesuit also said that he wants to hear from people that are not on the panel. The forum will ask people to bring questions and comments on what they would like CMU and the community to be like in five to ten years.
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