Published 2012-03-07T11:38:00Z”/>
<p class=”p1″><span class=”s1″><em>Sean Morgan, a professor of management, filed to run for a spot on the Chico City Council late last year. The Orion sat down with Morgan, a Chico State alumnus who teaches four classes, to find out why he’s running, how he wants to attract voters and his favorite hangout spot in town.</em></span></p>
<p class=”p1″><span class=”s2″><strong>The Orion:</strong> What made you want to run for</p><p class=”p1″>City Council?</span></p>
<p class=”p1″><span class=”s2″><strong>Morgan:</strong> I grew up here. I’ve been in Chico since I was 4 years old. I went through Chico Unified School District and Chico State. I had birthday parties when I was a kid at Caper Acres, and I was married here. Chico is a great and phenomenal place. I would like it to continue to have the vibrant future that it deserves, that I had, so as my kids grow up here and other people’s kids grow up here, if they want to return and experience all that Chico has to offer, they can. In order to do that, we need to protect what we have.</span></p>
<p class=”p1″><span class=”s2″><strong>The Orion:</strong> Do you have any plans for the university or for students if you’re elected?</span></p>
<p class=”p1″><span class=”s2″><strong>Morgan:</strong> One of my contentions and one of the things I’m excited about running for — I think one of the greatest things about Chico is the university. Without the university, Chico is a completely different town. There’s not a lot of collaboration that goes on between the city and the college, and it’s unfortunate.</span></p>
<p class=”p1″><span class=”s2″>The city wants to do certain things. We want to be business-friendly so businesses can come here and create revenue, and revenue is good because it gives the city money it needs to do things like hire police officers and firefighters and protect the environment and that’s great.</span></p>
<p class=”p1″><span class=”s2″>At the same time though, our city has some challenges. We have a tendency to send money out of town, hire outside consultants, whether it’s for engineering, drawings or plans or schematics.</span></p>
<p class=”p1″><span class=”s2″><strong>The Orion:</strong> Why should Chico residents, especially students, consider voting for you in the November election?</span></p>
<p class=”p1″><span class=”s2″><strong>Morgan:</strong> Well, why should Chico residents vote for me? The first thing a public servant needs to do is understand the people they’re serving. I’ve lived in Chico since I was 4. Nobody knows Chico better than I do or at least nobody who’s running, so that takes care of the residents. </span></p>
<p class=”p1″><span class=”s2″>The flip side to that is also the students. I graduated from Chico State the first time in 1993 from the College of Business and came back and got my master’s. I’ve been here as a high school student, I’ve been here as a college student, and I’ve been here as a graduate student and now I’m here as an instructor. I understand the Chico experience, and I understand the students aren’t the problem. I understand there shouldn’t be a clash between the city and the university — that we should be working together to make this the most absolute dynamic and exciting college town in America, and there’s no reason it can’t be.</span></p>
<p class=”p1″><span class=”s2″><strong>The Orion:</strong> Where’s your favorite place to eat in Chico? What’s your favorite hangout spot in town?</span></p>
<p class=”p1″><span class=”s2″><strong>Morgan:</strong> You realize if I answer that, I get in trouble with all these other people. My favorite restaurant is probably Sin of Cortez. </span></p>
<p class=”p1″><span class=”s2″>On a Friday night, my favorite thing to do is to grab my wife and two sons — one is 12 and one is 10— and we go to The Graduate and we have Gradburgers, shoot pool, hang out as a family and it’s awesome.</span></p>
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<p class=”p1″><span class=”s1″>-<em>Compiled by August Walsh</em></span></p>
