ASUI President Max Cowan invited members of Moscow City Council to the ASUI Town and Gown Soiree during a city council meeting Monday evening. The ASUI event will be held at 6 p.m. Nov. 5 in the Bruce Pitman Center.
“The goal of it is to provide student leaders an opportunity to engage with members of our community and leaders of our community so we can work together this coming year,” Cowan said, addressing the council at a city council meeting Monday.
The event will host university administrators, student organizations, city council members and other city officials.
ASUI Communications Board Vice Chair Austin Karstetter is organizing the event. He said he”s only gotten good feedback.
Karstetter, who was an ASUI senator last year, said the event was originally two events – a senate reception and a meet-and-greet with the mayor and city council. Last year was the first year they combined the events into the Town and Gown Soiree.
In years past, ASUI Director of Policy Nick Wren said about 20 people showed.
Karstetter has been working to grow the event by involving more people and said about 65 people came to last year”s soiree. But this year, he is expecting 300 to 400 this year due to some of their changes.
This year, Wren said representatives from student organizations will make an appearance and they are inviting more members of the community. Additionally, he said the soiree is more formal than the original events, and their reservation in the ballroom is allowing them space for more people.
“It was very brief and simple,” Cowan said. “Now we”ve changed the tone of the event.”
Members of Moscow City Council responded positively to Cowan”s invitation, and Cowan said he is excited to see that the council is so engaged.
Karstetter said he has been having additional conversations with the council about a reciprocal event.
“We want to reciprocate that by next spring, inviting the leadership of ASUI up here,” said Moscow Mayor Bill Lambert. “We can have a two-way street.”
Wren said in years past, he has found the event beneficial to himself, and said talking to so many people in local government helps to make the experience less daunting.
“When I know more people, I feel like I can be more effective,” he said.
Wren said the event not only lets students further their involvement in government and the community, but it helps them prepare them for their own work.
“You never know who you”re going to talk to,” he said. “You never know what conversation might give you your next bright idea.”
Nishant Mohan can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @NishantRMohan