Senior Adam Hassler is running for a position in Elmhurst city government. Because of his location, he will be running for alderman of the second ward. If he wins, he will become the youngest alderman on the council.

Q: What is an alderman?

A: An alderman is an elected official of the Elmhurst city government. The city of elmhurst is divided into 7 wards. Because I live in the second ward, the northwest corner of Elmhurst, I will be running to be a council member in that ward. An alderman is expected to represent the sentiments of their ward in all the decisions they make. In short, an alderman is to the city of Elmhurst what a congressman is to the federal government.

Q: What are some responsibilities that come with being an alderman?

A: As alderman, your work schedule is technically only a few hours a month in which you have to attend meetings. However, to fulfil one’s duty, an alderman needs to connect with the community. This entails a lot of answering and asking questions to ensure that you and your constituents are on the same page.

Q: Why did you decide to run?

A: I thought a position in local government was something I should pursue based on how much I love Elmhurst. I’m a fourth generation Elmhurst citizen, and being able to influence a community that’s shaped who I am would be an awesome opportunity and a spectacular way to serve a place that’s served me well the last 17 years.

Q: Do you have any concerns about your campaign? If so, why?

A: I’m a bit concerned about being still only 17 years old. As far as the city guidelines show, I should have no problem legally running for this position. However, I will need to prove the legitimacy of my campaign to the community more than any other alderman candidate has ever done before.

Also, the four year term an alderman is expected to fulfill is the same four years a high school graduate, soon to be like myself, typically attends college. As my campaign gets nearer and nearer to election day, eventually I will have to make a decision on where to go to school. However, when that time comes, this town and my loyalty to it will be a very important factor in selecting a future learning experience.

Q: How do you intend to sway people to vote for you?

A: My main goal in campaigning is to meet and connect with voters face to face. In doing this, I hope I can begin to create a strong reputation of who I am and get my name spread around the town. Meeting my constituents will also inform me of any problems they want the government (i.e. me) to help them solve.

Q: What are some ways York students can help you achieve your goals?

A: Anyone willing to help is invited to contact me. A few of my friends have already helped me immensely in the early stages of this campaign, but as we get closer to the April election, we are going to need more help in anything ranging from a special skill we could see as useful in campaigning or simply just an extra body to contact voters.

Q: Is there anything specific you’re trying to achieve by running for alderman, such as a specific policy you’d like to help pass, or an idea you’d like to run by the council?

A: This is the only question that I 100% do not have an answer to, and I think that’s really beneficial. I’m not running to force my own opinions or ideas through as if they are a representation of my community. Rather, I want to go out and learn what my neighbors want and hold their values highest in every move I make. Making my community’s well being at the center of all this is important to me, because although this may seem as if a 17 year old kid trying to accomplish something society will deem far fetched, I want to make it about a community trying to reach their maximum potential–I feel like I can help our community accomplish this.