Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Georgetown University’s Newspaper of Record since 1920

The Hoya

Sticka to Seek Candidates for ANC

As the end of his term on Advisory Neighborhood Commission 2E approaches, Jake Sticka (COL ’13) is set to begin recruiting students to run for the two student seats on the commission up for a vote in November.

Recruited during the spring semester of his freshman year by the previous ANC student commissioner, Sticka has served as the commissioner for Single-Member District 2E04 for two years. He is currently on the transportation committee and is secretary of the commission, a role typically held by the ANC’s student representative.

ANC 2E’s redistricting plan, which passed in December, split the Georgetown area into eight single-member districts, allotting two SMDs to areas inhabited solely by Georgetown students. As a consequence, two students will likely be elected in the upcoming contest.

ANC student commissioners must attend monthly ANC meetings — as well as meetings throughout the city, vote on important issues and speak with constituents and campus media.

Because commissioners must live in the districts they represent, Sticka won’t know who is eligible to run until freshman housing selection ends in the first week of March.

“[After March] I’ll know where they are living, which is essential for me to go forward with the process because the two districts are split,” Sticka said.

Sticka plans to hold information sessions outlining what the job entails and how to run for the position. At these sessions, he hopes to gauge potential candidates’ level of interest and prepare them for the election process.

Sticka expressed concern about the District’s requirement that candidates collect 25 signatures from registered voting constituents in their specific SMD in order to appear on the November ballot.

“One thing that really is unfortunate is that the petition period … starts Aug. 3 and runs through Sept. 1, and there aren’t students on campus during that period,” Sticka said.

Freshmen usually run for the ANC position because the term lasts two years and the commissioner must live in his district during his entire time on the commission.

“If any sophomore should want to run, I’d be happy to support them in the process, but I suspect that there won’t be too many that will want to do that,” Sticka said.

Open to any interested and committed students, Sticka said that the ANC student commissioner position requires an open relationship with the Georgetown community, attention to student concerns and the ability to impart these concerns to the ANC.

“As a personal voter, I definitely will be looking for people that know how to be in touch with students,” he said.

In addition to representing university interests, any student commissioner would have to hold his own against the ANC’s six other commissioners representing SMDs in Burleith, Georgetown and Hillandale.

Though the ANC has become a battleground for debate about Georgetown’s 2010 Campus Plan during Sticka’s term, his relationship with his fellow commissioners has been civil.

“We are very respectful of each other even when we have differences of opinion,” Sticka said.

ANC 2E chair Ron Lewis added that despite the tensions, he has always enjoyed a sound working relationship with student commissioners.

“[The student commissioners have been] engaged in community affairs, smart, interested and interesting folks, and I really like that. The one wrinkle this year has of course been the Campus Plan, and I wish that the Campus Plan would just go away because … emotions run high and people take positions they have to take and that’s not easy,” Lewis said.

He added that he is confident that Sticka’s recruitment efforts will yield strong candidates.

“I think the system is pretty good at coming up with the right quality of candidates,” Lewis said. “I have no doubt that two great people will come through this election.”

Leave a Comment
More to Discover

Comments (0)

All The Hoya Picks Reader Picks Sort: Newest

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *