Healthy Bowling Green Forum Set For Wednesday At WKU

October 09, 2008

Bowling Green, Ky. - Western Kentucky University’s College of Health and Human Services will host a Healthy Bowling Green Forum at 4:30 p.m. Wednesday (Oct. 15).

The forum featuring candidates for Bowling Green mayor and city commission will be held in Downing University Center, room 340. The event is open to the public.

The focus will be on health-related issues, such as sidewalks, energy use and smoke-free Bowling Green.
The purpose of the forum is to increase community awareness of candidates’ stances on health related issues and to give students the opportunity to become involved in individual candidates’ campaigns and the election process as a whole.

“It is very important for students to be politically active in their community,” said Dr. John Bonaguro, dean of the College of Health and Human Services. “The students are organizing the forums so they can learn about the positions of the candidates for mayor and city commissioners. Many students at WKU are registered voters in Bowling Green and they need to make informed decisions about who they support for office. ”

Dr. Cecilia Watkins, assistant professor in the Department of Public Health, has involved her graduate class in the process. “Western has over 19,700 students and many of them want to know how they can make an impact in this incredible election year. The best way is through awareness and action,” she said.

Graduate student Katie Gilson said: “This is our chance to make a difference, we can bring out the issues that are important to us as students, as current and future professionals in health-service fields, and as residents of Bowling Green.”
               
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For information, contact Megan Broadbent at (270) 320-4228.