New Public Engagement Commissioner Chosen

Three highly engaged high school students spoke to the Goleta City Council, interviewing to be the youngest member of the Public Engagement Commission, which is charged with getting more Goletans involved in city matters. Both Alyssa Argenbright of Dos Pueblos and Sydney Schapansky of San Marcos gave the council articulate explanations of their involvement in leadership programs and student government at their schools, and the council considered the application of Emily Donelan, who was unable to attend. But Vinesh Manian, a sophomore at Dos Pueblos, won them over.

Like the other two, he volunteers in the community and is familiar with trying to get his peers and sponsors to join in school activities. He thought students should be voting on things affecting them at DP, like the new patio project and media building.

What made a couple of his interlocutors crack up was his statement that becoming a commissioner in Goleta would mean he wouldn’t have to leave for D.C. to be a congressional page. Both Mayor Paula Perotte and Councilmember Roger Aceves praised his statement that he was young and would be around for a long time. Councilmember Kyle Richards joined in putting Manian over the top.