By Brooke Reider

It's a cast of characters in this year's run for the Provo City Council City-Wide District II seat. The race's newest opponent, a 21-year-old BYU student, is challenging a former councilman, a retired fire chief and the incumbent for the seat.

Christopher Stowe is an American studies major and an avid political blogger hoping to become the first college-aged BYU student to be elected to the Provo City Council.

Improving relations between students and the council is a significant part of Stowe's agenda.

"The mindset of the council is that students are guests of the city, and should be treated as such," Stowe said.

As council member, Stowe says he would advocate for students, representing their best interests on issues affecting them.

Forty percent of Provo residents are between the ages of 18 and 24, yet they receive no representation in the city's legislative body, he said.

"The way the council is right now, there is a big disconnect between the student population of Provo and the people who represent them," said Stowe's campaign manager, Darci Larsen.

Stowe plans to remedy this disconnect through meetings between BYU administrators and the members of the city council to get the university's input on important issues affecting Provo.

BYU is "the backbone of Provo's economy," Stowe said. One of the first things he plans to do on the council is to form a student shadow council.

Consequently, when issues come up such as zoning and parking, there is a mechanism to ask students "what do you think?"

Perhaps the reason BYU students have never had college-aged representation on the council is because they've never demanded it.

In 2000, only 1 percent of the people in Utah between the ages of 18 and 25 cast a ballot, and the projection for student voting this year is just as low.

Students fail to understand the dramatic impact of local government on their lives, Larsen said. .

"People don't realize it, but it is the smaller, municipal government that has the huge day-to-day impact," Larsen said. "They are responsible for changes in things like parking, living situations and businesses in the area."

Student relations aren't the only problem Stowe sees in Provo city. Stowe has expressed concern over the controversial iProvo cable system, labeling it as a marketing issue. More advertising and education about the benefits would bolster iProvo's popularity and revenues, he said.

"It has the potential to be a cash cow for Provo if we get more subscribers," Stowe said.

Stowe would also like to see increased economic development by encouraging businesses to come to Provo.

"Orem has done a great job of bringing in businesses, but Provo is struggling," Stowe said. "If you want a Wal-Mart, Bed, Bath and Beyond, or Target, you have to drive out to Orem."

While most college-aged students would be intimidated by the experience of his opponents, Stowe sees it instead as his competitive edge.

"There is a lot of old-school thought on the council," Stowe said. "I will bring a fresh perspective."

Campaign manager Larsen said that the other candidates are relying mainly on name recognition instead of running a cohesive campaign effort.

"Personally, I'm not intimidated by the competition," Larsen said.

Stowe is currently updating his Web site, making phone calls and canvassing in preparation for the Sept. 11 primary. Because the city council race is nonpartisan, the two candidates with the highest number of votes will run off in the general election.

To find out more about Stowe's vision for Provo, visit his Web site at votestowe.com or his blog at www.ydems.blogspot.com.

Copyright Brigham Young University 4 Sep 2007