CHICO GREAT DEBATE UNITES STUDENTS, CITY

People wandered from booth to booth along Broadway Street, eating
barbecue and watching performers as dusk settled over downtown Chico.
As usual, the Thursday Night Market brought the crowds out for a very
"Chico" event.

With the market being so interesting, it's strange to think something
even more fascinating happened Thursday night in Chico -- and right
across the street, too.

Within the City Council Chambers, a group of Chico State students
spent most of Thursday participating in The Chico Great Debate, an
event intended to encourage citizen involvement in civil and regulated
debate on important political issues.

The debate was interesting in its own right, with students and citizen
stakeholders discussing the legalization of marijuana in California.
Arguments on both sides of the issue were well realized and
compellingly made.

Not only did we get to hear students display their ability to research
and present arguments in an effective and clear manner, but we also
got to hear the discussion presented by people who work day in and day
out with the issue of legalization. As far as student involvement
goes, they made a good showing next to the pros.

Seeing students being effective participants in a local forum could go
a long way to prove individuals can have political efficacy. The
debate shows that if we take a little time to prepare, we all can be
heard.

What makes The Chico Great Debate even more significant is the fact
that it tied together two very important elements of student life --
the city and Chico State.

The debate is Chico State's subtle way of reminding us that we may be
here for the university, but we also should be here for the city.

The event told students more than copious amounts of information about
marijuana. But beside the discussions, students received a clear
message of the need for them to become a part of Chico politics.

Students don't always want to participate in City Council meetings or
local elections, either for lack of interest or the notion that
non-permanent residency is an excuse to avoid civic
responsibility.

We should remember that even though many of us won't be here after
graduation, there will always be students in Chico. Our interests will
very likely be similar to the interests of future students. Therefore,
we should make ourselves present in community conversations to ensure
local law properly serves students of today and tomorrow.

As for the debate on marijuana, we can't really agree on whether it
should be legalized.

That in itself makes us see how important it is to have these
discussions in a calm and reasonable manner.

We are excited to see how The Chico Great Debate develops over the
years. It's already the start of something beautiful.