Students will have the opportunity to discuss controversial issues in College Station, such as red-light cameras, with Mayor Ben White on Thursday during his monthly "Coffee with the Mayor" event.
The event is open to College Station residents. The coffee is usually off campus, but White wanted it on campus this month to attract more college students. Those who attend can ask the mayor questions and hear his views on community issues.
"Coffee with the Mayor" will be Thursday from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. in Memorial Student Center Room 228. It will be an informal come-and-go event, with light refreshments provided by the Student Government Association. It's the second time the event has taken place on campus.
"'Coffee with the Mayor' started out as a way for the mayor to informally interact with the citizens of College Station," said Michele Breaux, a junior economics major and external affairs chair for the Student Senate. "The mayor is very easy to talk to and will give you a straight answer. He will be open to discuss anything students want to know about."
Any students who have concerns with the city of College Station or the impacts its decisions make on student life can attend. What's discussed is up to them.
"The topics Mayor Ben White plans to discuss are up to the students who attend," said Paul Boehm, the College Station liaison for the Student Senate and sophomore industrial engineering major. "Students who attend the entire event may hear some topics discussed twice as students ask about those issues, but for the most part he will be answering specific questions about current issues."
Although the students will lead the discussion, there are certain issues that White, SGA and some students think are especially important, said Ryan Rieger, the student advocate of community relations on the SGA Executive Council.
"Mayor White will be answering any questions, mainly pertaining to student issues," said Rieger, a senior political science major. "Students can ask about the red light cameras, bond elections, noise abatement laws and basically anything of interest."
The placement of red-light cameras on multiple College Station intersections has been a major issue for students, Boehm said. He said that White should address the concerns at the event.
"Personally, I feel that the red light camera issue is very misunderstood and many students are mislead about the purpose and what happens to the revenue received by the City," he said."Although there is not one specific topic he will discuss, I personally want the truth to be told about the red light cameras."
Rieger said the event will be mutually beneficial: students can learn how College Station policies affect their lives, and White can learn how students affect the community.
"While students are learning about College Station, Mr. White will be gathering the students' feedback on what we think about the City of College Station and how they are fulfilling the city's duties," Rieger said.
He added, "College students are part of this community and Mayor White wants to make sure they have the best experience in College Station as possible."
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