City of Madison officials are redoubling their efforts to recruit Madison residents to fill numerous vacancies on a diverse pool of city committees, including targeting students to lend their perspective to city politics.

The City’s website lists over 100 vacancies in areas ranging from the Urban Design Commission to the Madison Arts Commission and the Committee on Community Gardens.

Ald. Lauren Cnare, District 3, said any Madison resident who is 18 or over is eligible to hold a city position. Completed applications are filed with Mayor Paul Soglin’s office.

Cnare emphasized students are both eligible and encouraged to apply.

“There is a lot of value for students in being involved,” she said. “[Students] should use these as opportunities for an introduction to government and a way to have a say in what’s important to you.”

Ald. Scott Resnick, District 8, said students can become involved on a preliminary level by speaking about student issues at committees or City Council.

Cnare agreed, saying several committees have had student members in the past.

Students who have a strong interest in a certain issue are encouraged to consider applying to be a member of a committee that address a specific area, Cnare said.

Resnick added experience with city policy can give students unique insight into both the political world and the city they call home.

“Serving on a committee provides an educational resource that can’t be supplemented in the classroom,” he said. “It’s a combination of learning in intricate details and how politics in general work.”

Associated Students of Madison Student Council representative Sam Polstein emphasized the impact students are able to have on their city.

“We have a right and a responsibility to get involved in the governance of this city,” he said in an email to The Badger Herald. “This is our city and we have to live with the consequences of city policies every day.”

Polstein added getting involved in city policy gives students the ability to have a say in numerous aspects of their lives.

“City policies influence the condition of the houses that we live in, the way we’re treated by our landlords, entertainment options in the downtown area and the overall climate of the communities that we live in,” he said.

University of Wisconsin students have a history filling positions in the city. Openings in city groups are the perfect opportunity for students to continue this tradition, Cnare said.

Resnick said examples of significant student involvement are former UW students Mark Woulf and Sam Stevenson, who have both served on Alcohol License Review Committee.

Woulf served as Alcohol Policy Coordinator and Stevenson is a current member of ALRC.

ASM Legislative Affairs Chair Hannah Somers echoed the sentiment, saying students have the potential to make a significant impact on the city.

“One of the most important benefits of getting involved would be providing student perspective to the city,” she said. “The city is eager to hear from students because it doesn’t happen very often. Getting involved makes an impact because those students are able to represent the student voice.”