Ryan Santos

Sports Editor

The terrifying beauty of growing past one’s adolescent phase lies in the gain of responsibility. As high school age kids tally new marks in their age column, they gain the ability to drive a car, become a member of the work-force, and maybe most importantly, dip their toes into the civil duty that is voting. Placer High’s senior class of 2019 is quickly being thrown into the “real world,” and voting is but an afterthought to many students. Some students however, are more than aware of how important voting is, and plan on using their power for the better.

“I would like to vote for everything I can when I turn eighteen, as it is my civil duty.”, states Placer senior Blake Baughman.

With the power to vote, young Auburnites such as Baughman can see real change happen at both a national and local scale. One of the upcoming local elections this fall is for a spot on Auburn’s City Council.

Sharing his perspective on what he looks for in a candidate in the upcoming City Council election, Baughman expressed that, “giving back to the community is a huge part, and they should not be in it for one central task, as they need to be able to be able to handle multiple projects at once.”

Owner of Auburn’s Mancave, Christopher Kershner, believes that he is prepared for the task of being a city councilman. As a Placer High Graduate in the class of 2003, Kershner is the youngest person ever to run for City Council at thirty three years old, and is doing so with a community-based campaign.

“I try to do everything as local as I can,” Kershner stated. “I attach my life to charity and nonprofits such as Placer High School not because of my campaign, but because it is what I think is right.”

Kershner believes that Auburn is somewhat “stuck in the past” in some aspects, such as  dispensary and food truck regulations, stating, “Auburn is a beautiful, awesome place to live and raise a family, but bringing it into the 21st century is necessary.”.

To help the senior class get involved in the voting community, Kershner is planning a free senior lunch sometime this fall, which will likely be advertised in the Hillmen Messenger in a later issue.

Frequent substitute teacher Josh Green, while a critic of Kershner’s campaign, believes that the lunch day is a great idea, as “reaching out to the people coming into the voting world is very important.”

“Using a lunch day to inspire a whole new crop of community members to vote is an excellent idea,” Green stated.

Regardless of the candidates or one’s political affiliation, voting for both local and national government officials is undoubtedly important. With many elections coming down to the wire, every vote truly does matter, and casting your opinion in the ballot box is essential to a free society. In such a historic town like Auburn, change lies in the hands of the people, and voting is one of the few ways to create it.