Missing alt

Electing to Run



Rooker '10 on November ballot

The water you drink.

The Commons you hold dear.  Or, disparage.

The future of Collegetown.

Starting Jan. 1, an ILR student could be casting votes on critical issues in the city of gorges.

Eddie Rooker '10 is running for an Ithaca Common Council seat.

Uncontested so far, he would serve as an alderman for  the Fourth Ward, which includes some of Ithaca's most coveted and controversial real estate -- Collegetown.

On the surface, Rooker is not unlike many 21-year-old students.

He dreads doing his laundry.

He shoots hoops for relaxation.

Subway is the healthy option.

Scratch a little and Rooker's community credentials emerge as those for which any political newcomer might long:

  • Big Brother volunteer, Ithaca Youth Bureau
  • Youth mentor, Franziska Racker Center
  • Member, Collegetown Neighborhood Council and University Neighborhood Council
  • Initiator, Greek Collegetown cleanups
  • Coordinator of volunteers, Cornell's Into the Streets 2008  cleanup
  • Facilitator, Cornell Greeks' Trick or Treat Trail
  • A leader, Greeks Go Green
  • Current president and former vice president for university and community relations, Cornell's Intrafraternity Council.

Those roles, Rooker said, whetted his appetite for getting students more involved with the Ithaca community. A Common Council seat should help him do that, he said.

In June, he declared his candidacy for one of the 10 city council alderman positions.

He read a one-page announcement on Eddy Street, in the heart of the Fourth Ward, sweeping steeply to just above downtown.

Running as a Democrat with Democratic City Caucus endorsement, Rooker is unopposed so far. Independents have until 5 p.m. Tuesday to file a petition for a place on the ballot.

Of course, a write-in candidate could emerge before the Nov. 3 election.

For now, though, Rooker says his campaign strategy is centered on talking with as many of the ward’s 1,793 registered voters as possible.

His talking points include:

  • Keep more tax dollars generated by Collegetown in Collegetown
  • Update building codes to meet higher energy use standards and to increase  rental housing quality
  • Expand communication between permanent and student residents
  • Invest in Collegetown sidewalks, roads, bridges and more public garbage cans
  • Continued support for Ithaca Youth Bureau and Greater Ithaca Activities Center
  • Promote development that would increase density at Collegetown's core and preserve surrounding neighborhoods by curbing the spread of student housing.

Through his parents, members of the American Federation of Teachers, and his ILR studies, he said, "I have become a strong proponent of government support of unions, workers rights, and a living wage."

"If elected to Common Council I will push for progressive policies and programs," said Rooker, Class of 2006 valedictorian and president at Weedsport High School in Cayuga County.

Voters might wonder how long he plans to stay in Ithaca after graduation in May.

Rooker said he is looking into local job opportunities and master's programs at ILR.

"I definitely plan on sticking around."

Weekly Inbox Updates