Taylor Hutton
Student Writer
At 1 p.m. on Sept. 25, Cameron’s Bill Burgess, Jr. Business Research Center hosted “Meet the Candidates: Election 2014” for local candidates in upcoming midterm elections.
Dr. Syed Ahmed, a Cameron economics professor, hosted the event with the Bill Burgess, Jr. Business Research Center, because he felt it was important to allow the public access to the candidates with midterm elections quickly approaching.
“The candidates will have the opportunity also to present their views, their policies, and attitude,” Ahmed said.
Ahmed said it also allows the public a chance to talk to the candidates and get to know them before the election, and it gives them a chance to be “proactive.”
“The ultimate test of a democracy is participation,” Ahmed said.
The forum opened with each candidate introducing themselves and their platform. Many of the candidates spoke of their family and their ties to the community. Each candidate talked about improvements they would make if elected and how they would directly affect the community.
Ahmed then opened the floor for questions allowing guests to ask questions to each candidate.
Many of the candidates were CU alumni. Some of the candidates even attended Cameron College, when it was only a two-year university, as opposed to a four-year university.
Josh Creekmore is the most recent CU alumnus running for the office of district judge. He graduated from CU in 1999.
“I feel this is an important event to hold in any community,” Creekmore said. “People wouldn’t have the opportunity to come up and meet the candidates, talk to them, and discuss the issues that are important to them with the candidates.”
Creekmore not only sees the importance of the event, but also understands that this is an opportunity that is not always offered to communities.
“It’s very rare that you get an opportunity to act with the individual candidates,” Creekmore said.
Some of the guests included current CU students as well as many member of the Lawton community. Ahmed was glad to see CU students participating in the event.
“They are the young citizens,” Ahmed said, “and they will shoulder the responsibility in a few years.”
Semaj McManus is a sophomore elementary education major, and she now has a better idea of the candidates.
“Now I can put a face and what they are running for on those billboards they have their names on,” McManus said. “It was very informative.”
McManus was one of many CU students in attendance, but McManus feels the event was important to all CU students as they all have the right to vote and make a difference in the community.
At 9 a.m. on Oct. 7 a second forum will be held for the state election candidates in the CETES conference room.