Like many Ohio University students, Sergey Kahn spends his time balancing schoolwork, friends and family. Now he's adding something else to the list: a campaign to be mayor of Athens.
Kahn, a junior photography major at Ohio University, said he decided to run for mayor because he wanted the student population to have more of a say in the town they live in nine months out of the year.
Their voice needs to matter as much as anyone else's
he said.
Although he didn't get enough valid signatures on his first petition, he is collecting more to meet the deadline of the primary election May 8. A candidate needs 54 valid signatures to be put on the ballot, and he plans to collect 100 signatures this time around.
The 20-year-old, who plans to run as an independent, said his biggest goal as mayor would be to get the university community and the city community to work together.
I hope to see the local government work for the entire population and not just the supposed majority Kahn said.
He also hopes to reform the annual Halloween celebration in Athens to make it more of a planned festival than a controlled riot and to work on parking reform.
You can't park anywhere in the city Kahn said.
Kahn, who was born in Ukraine but grew up in Cincinnati, describes himself as an involved citizen who keeps up on current events. In the last two summers, he has worked for Ohio Citizen Action and the minimum wage amendment.
He said it likely would be a challenge at first for citizens to get used to having a student as mayor, though he thinks residents would become more comfortable with the idea in time. If elected, he plans to continue his OU studies.
Kahn faces the challenge of campaigning on a tight budget and said his ability to campaign during the summer depends on whether he gets a local job.
Let's not forget I am still a poor college student
he said.
For now, he has launched a Facebook group and a MySpace page, myspace.com/hollowturtle, and has plans for a Web site.
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