When it comes to controversial issues on the campus and in the city, student safety and housing are pretty high on the list. But newly-elected city council liaison Dan Hartinger says he wants to change that – by making student voices heard.
After being elected as the student liaison to the College Park City Council last month, Hartinger, a senior biology major, has already devised a plan to reach out to the student body about city issues, most importantly housing, recycling and safety.
“Once he is excited and believes in something, he throws himself into it,” said Carol Hartinger, his mother.
As liaison, Hartinger wants to create more student involvement in the city. He is seeking to make the student community more aware of decisions taking place inside the city council, as many legislative rulings directly affect students.
Hartinger has set up a blog (citycouncilterp.blogspot.com) where students can voice concerns about issues arising in the city.
“The position has been really interesting so far; I feel that the other members of the city council have been extremely welcoming and have taken my input seriously,” Hartinger said. “It is, so far, extremely rewarding.”
And District 4 Councilwoman Mary Cook only had praise for Hartinger’s work so far.
“I think he is more than capable,” she said. “What we really need is for him to present the student perspective on issues in College Park.”
So far, Hartinger’s top priority as liaison is to push for more off-campus student housing, of which there are several new building possibilities slated to appear before the council this year.
Hartinger hopes to persuade the council to approve the proposed student housing complexes in the city as an answer to the high demand for student housing.
“I will do my best to convince them of the urgency for additional housing and try to speed up an occasionally lengthy process,” Hartinger said.
Another area Hartinger feels extremely passionate about is environmental issues.
“He always had a love for science, and he hopes to one day be involved in policy that affects conservation and the environment,” Carol Hartinger said.
Recently, College Park bars have been the object of Hartinger’s environmental enthusiasm, as he has made the rounds urging owners to recycle more, an initiative the city council will support, Cook said.
“As far as the recycling, I’m all for that,” Cook said. “If he can achieve that, more power to him. Certainly the council will be right behind him.”
During the summer, Hartinger is working at an environment education center in Washington, teaching kids about the earth.
Although Hartinger does not receive a vote in the city council, he will get to deliberate and offer his insight to council members during meetings.
But Hartinger doesn’t hope to accomplish all these goals alone. Instead, he and Student Government Association president Jonathan Sachs hope to work with the SGA and the city on a variety of issues, especially safety. Together, they want to conduct informational safety programs to teach students about the best ways to remain safe on and off the campus.
“Dan is driven, experienced, organized and honest,” Sachs said. “We’re going to make sure the student voice is heard on the council.”
Before becoming the city liaison, Hartinger was a hall council president in the Residence Hall Association in his freshman year and a senator in the SGA in his sophomore year, and more recently, he sat on the SGA executive board as the national communications coordinator.
In what Hartinger considers one of his most effective acts in the SGA, he proposed a controversial bill that would prohibit fifth-year seniors from living in South Campus Commons in order to make additional space for juniors who would otherwise be forced to live off the campus. This step was unpopular among fifth-year seniors.
“Even though I took some flak for it, I didn’t give up, and it is this same tenacity that I will bring to the city council when fighting for the student’s views,” Hartinger said.
As for the future, Hartinger has considered entering politics as an environmental policy consultant or an advisor for a political body.
“One of my long-term dreams is to change the world,” Hartinger said. “I want to make the world a better place than it already is. The world is facing many problems right now – environmentally, economically. If I can help to solve some of these major problems, I would be ecstatic.”
And Cook said she has only high hopes for Hartinger’s tenure.
“I look for him to be a good representative of the students and not be afraid to speak out,” Cook said. “I think he is that type of guy.”
newsdesk@dbk.umd.edu
