Spring Break
Illinois officials talk about responsibilities
Students told about positions on ballot
Krystal Moya / City Editor
Issue date: 10/31/08 Section: News
State, city and county officials filled the Mattoon/Charleston Room of the Martin Luther King Jr. University Union for the first state officials forum on campus.
The forum was intended for students to learn about their offices on the ballot for Election Day, Nov. 4.
"I am an experienced voter, and I realized that most students do not know about the other offices on the ballot," said forum organizer Michelle Martin, a senior public relations major.
Martin said the point of the forum was to inform the more than 50 audience members of the officials' role in government, not to address the campaigns at hand.
"I figured I would leave that in the hands of the League of Women Voters," she said.
State's attorney incumbent Steve Ferguson, county coroner Mike Nichols and County Board Chairwoman Jan Eads addressed the audience.
All three officials ran through their positions, highlighting the numerous tasks their offices take on. Ferguson discussed how the state's attorney office addresses mostly criminal offenses, but can litigate lesser-known offenses such as child abuse and neglect. Nichols spoke of the coroner's position as the position people need to talk to "when you're at the end of the road."
He signs death certificates, orders autopsies and handles more than 400 cases a year.
Eads listed the numerous responsibilities of the County Board, including the multi-million dollar budget of Coles County.
"I thought it was very informative," said Josh Smith, a freshman undecided major. "They knew their audience - talked to us like students."
Among the panel were Illinois Sen. Dale Righter, R-Mattoon, and Illinois Rep. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet.
Rose is currently on the ballot but is unopposed in his re-election. Righter is up for re-election in 2010. Both officials described their duties as a two-part position.
"We have half our time in Springfield, which is always extremely busy, and half our time is spent with our constituents in the districts we represent," Rose said.
Both officials said spending time in their respective district was the most rewarding and frustrating part of the job.
Rose and Righter explained that constituents in their districts come to them to seek comfort in problems beyond their means.
"If I can help someone who doesn't know where to turn, it is the most rewarding," Righter said. "But, sometimes you go as far as you can and get nothing and you have to present this laundry list of avenues that just didn't work; there, it is the most frustrating."
Rennels passed out legal sample ballots that could be taken into the poll booth and showed the privacy file that would be used while casting the vote. She emphasized the importance of the student vote.
"We have had over 25,000 early voters already," she said. "Get out there. Its an exciting time."
Also in attendance were County Sheriff Darrell Cox and retired Charleston Mayor Roscoe Cougill. Cox explained to students that his position handles crimes and arrests, much like a municipality police department would. But the county also handles the jail, which currently houses 102 inmates for its 160 beds, he added.
Cougill explained the differences between City-Commission government form that Charleston previously had, and the rather new City-Manager government form, which is now in place.
Krystal Moya can be reached at 581-7942 or at ksmoya@eiu.edu.
The forum was intended for students to learn about their offices on the ballot for Election Day, Nov. 4.
"I am an experienced voter, and I realized that most students do not know about the other offices on the ballot," said forum organizer Michelle Martin, a senior public relations major.
Martin said the point of the forum was to inform the more than 50 audience members of the officials' role in government, not to address the campaigns at hand.
"I figured I would leave that in the hands of the League of Women Voters," she said.
State's attorney incumbent Steve Ferguson, county coroner Mike Nichols and County Board Chairwoman Jan Eads addressed the audience.
All three officials ran through their positions, highlighting the numerous tasks their offices take on. Ferguson discussed how the state's attorney office addresses mostly criminal offenses, but can litigate lesser-known offenses such as child abuse and neglect. Nichols spoke of the coroner's position as the position people need to talk to "when you're at the end of the road."
He signs death certificates, orders autopsies and handles more than 400 cases a year.
Eads listed the numerous responsibilities of the County Board, including the multi-million dollar budget of Coles County.
"I thought it was very informative," said Josh Smith, a freshman undecided major. "They knew their audience - talked to us like students."
Among the panel were Illinois Sen. Dale Righter, R-Mattoon, and Illinois Rep. Chapin Rose, R-Mahomet.
Rose is currently on the ballot but is unopposed in his re-election. Righter is up for re-election in 2010. Both officials described their duties as a two-part position.
"We have half our time in Springfield, which is always extremely busy, and half our time is spent with our constituents in the districts we represent," Rose said.
Both officials said spending time in their respective district was the most rewarding and frustrating part of the job.
Rose and Righter explained that constituents in their districts come to them to seek comfort in problems beyond their means.
"If I can help someone who doesn't know where to turn, it is the most rewarding," Righter said. "But, sometimes you go as far as you can and get nothing and you have to present this laundry list of avenues that just didn't work; there, it is the most frustrating."
Rennels passed out legal sample ballots that could be taken into the poll booth and showed the privacy file that would be used while casting the vote. She emphasized the importance of the student vote.
"We have had over 25,000 early voters already," she said. "Get out there. Its an exciting time."
Also in attendance were County Sheriff Darrell Cox and retired Charleston Mayor Roscoe Cougill. Cox explained to students that his position handles crimes and arrests, much like a municipality police department would. But the county also handles the jail, which currently houses 102 inmates for its 160 beds, he added.
Cougill explained the differences between City-Commission government form that Charleston previously had, and the rather new City-Manager government form, which is now in place.
Krystal Moya can be reached at 581-7942 or at ksmoya@eiu.edu.
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