On Tuesday, April 7 students will have the opportunity to voice their support for one of our peers, Zach Wood, as he runs unopposed to represent significant portions of campus on Madison’s City Council. Zach has proven his leadership as a student and will use those experiences to give Badgers and young people a resilient voice on the City Council.
What’s on the ballot: Everything you need to know about the upcoming April 7 election
While an undergraduate, Zach joined a couple other students and I in co-founding IMPower, an organization to increase civic engagement among high school students. Zach was the first person to sign on to IMPower with me because he recognized the same problem I did – a lack of civic engagement among young people in Madison. Rather than focusing on a top-down approach, Zach helped form a bottom-up movement that put high school students in the driver’s seat of the change that they desired.
Zach showed a unique ability to listen to others and understand the adversity they face. He cares about the issue a resident has with their landlord. He worries about the people who walk the streets on dark night with no one around. Zach wants to engage the blocks of Madison he knows so well from his time on campus along with the broader community. Zach would also be the only City Council member under the age of 28.
When I think of Zach, I think leadership. He has never been one to sit in the background. He was the Vice Chair of College Democrats of Wisconsin, he co-founded IMPower and he helped organized volunteers during the Obama re-election campaign. I have no doubt Zach will bring the same leadership and tenacity for action to the City Council. He is both my friend and someone I look to for leadership. I am proud to vote for him on Tuesday.
Alexander Holland ([email protected]) is a senior majoring in political science and economics. He is the cofounder of IMPower and the Bipartisan Issues Group.
