
Marcus Afzali's first order of business? Telling Jack Robson we can do this on computers now.
Last night, College Park’s District 4 elected Marcus Afzali, a 24-year-old graduate student, as one of its next two City Council members. Although Afzali has said in the past that he won’t be the token student voice on the council, he’s definitely going to inject some youthful perspective into city discussions.
Don’t you wonder where there are other young people who were elected into public office yesterday? Sure you do.

This perky high school student gets to be on her county's school board for the next four years.
- In one of the more astonishing table-turns of yesterday’s elections around the country, a high school student became a school superintendent’s boss … more or less. CantonRep.com reports that 18-year-old Kathryn Knowles won a seat in Stark County, Ohio, to truly become a senior in charge of her own destiny. She also voted for the first time — good for you! Also, do you think future elections in Stark County will provide candidates’ ages along with their names? We’ll see.
- The Star-Ledger reports that Gabe Plumer, a 21-year-old senior at Johns Hopkins University, won a township committee seat in Alexandria, N.J. Plumer, a Republican, will be commuting between Alexandria and Baltimore to finish up his degree.
- Incredibly, Plumer isn’t the youngest public official to win office in New Jersey yesterday. That title might belong to 20-year-old Mitch Remig of Ocean County, reports the Asbury Park Press. Remig, a part-time student and part-time cop, was one of a slew of Republicans elected to his local township council. How about Jersey electing two guys in their twenties? And both being G.O.P. candidates? What are they drinking in Jersey? Actually don’t answer that.
- On the flip side, SUNY Buffalo student and Republican Tristan Daedalus, 21, was whipped by a 62-year-old candidate by a roughly 3-to-1 margin in his city council vote in Syracuse, N.Y. His district includes a sizable chunk of Syracuse University. Either students didn’t vote or they didn’t vote Republican, it seems.
Since today’s roundup essentially is quick hits, let’s move on to things happening today at the university.
- As reported in today’s edition of The Diamondback, students and faculty are hosting a meeting to address concerns and rumors (still unconfirmed) that the university clandestinely eliminated the Office of Equity and Diversity. The meeting is in Nyumburu Cultural Center at 6 p.m.
- Student Entertainment Events and the Sophomore Class Council are sponsoring a viewing of Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets at 7 p.m. in the Hoff Theater — always fun for the kids.
- The Latino Student Union and other organizations are hosting “Surviving Gang Land,” a lecture from an ex-gang member who changed his ways in Jimenez Hall at 7 p.m.
- The Office of Multi-ethnic Student Education presents “The American Indian: Past, present and future,” which features Chief Billy Redwing Tayac of the Piscataway Nation. He’ll be speaking at 3 p.m. in the Maryland Room in Marie Mount Hall.
O for 2 today! It’s “Johns Hopkins,” not “John’s,” and it’s Marie Mount Hall, not Mary Mount Hall.