During the fall semester, Loyola’s Society for Civic Engagement discussed several ways to get involved in the upcoming New Orleans mayoral election. Months later, their idea became a reality.
Co-sponsored with New Orleans City Business, LSCE organized a mayoral forum addressing political corruption and restoring transparency within New Orleans government.
When LSCE decided to find a way to participate in the mayoral race, the forum wasn’t their first idea. Originally, they planned to organize a campaign encouraging people to register to vote and voice their opinion on election day.
But then, Katharine Goforth, sociology junior, suggested a more direct approach — a mayoral debate.
“The rest of the e-board jumped on that idea with Dr. White’s help. We met to see if it was feasible and if we would be able to get the administration’s support,” said international business and religious studies junior Alex Fournet, the conservative chair of LSCE and The Maroon’s editorial editor. “The administration jumped behind us and supported us 100 percent.”
LSCE partnered with New Orleans City Business, who provided money, time and other resources needed to successfully conduct a forum. While they began contacting each candidate, they said they received the same reaction from each party: skepticism.
Convincing each mayoral candidate to agree to discuss these issues at Loyola was not an easy task. Each questioned whether this forum would attract enough attention and worth their time.
According to Fournet, Loyola needed a forum that was unique, presented a prominent topic and stood out above the rest to attract the candidates’ attention.
“Once they realized the forum would receive a lot of attention for it, they all knew they had to come or else all of their opponents would show up on a very widely televised forum,” Fournet said. “Obviously corruption is something that’s very prominent in this city so a debate on corruption got a lot of attention immediately, especially with the efforts from the university, the LSCE, the other student organizations and City Business publicizing it.”
Roger White, political science professor and LSCE advisor, used his experience with labor elections and time as a community organizer to brainstorm ideas to gain the candidates’ attention.
According to White, one way he ensured the candidates of the legitimacy of the forum was sending postcards to residents throughout the New Orleans area advertising the forum.
“Some of the candidates live in the New Orleans area. So by doing the mailing, we knew that once the leading candidates saw that the residents were all coming here and that it was on corruption, any major candidate who would decide not to come would do so at his or her own risk,” he said.
Despite early troubles, Fournet expects all six major candidates to attend the forum to answer questions Jan. 15.
White said Loyola students should attend the forum to hear each candidate’s platform because they attend school in New Orleans, and will therefore be affected by the decisions of the mayor.
Fournet agreed with White’s sentiments.
“Every time a city leader is corrupt and somehow slows the recovery of New Orleans, it affects all of us,” he said. “It pushes us back. This isn’t a city we’re removed from, we are a part of it, so what hurts the city, hurts us.”
Craig Malveaux can be reached at [email protected]