By Alan Suderman
THE ERICKSON TRIBUNE

Almost a year before the country goes to the polls to elect the next President, Highland Springs residents elected their own leaders.

Seven residents were chosen to be on the Resident Advisory Committee, or RAC as it’s known around campus. They will meet regularly with staff members to help shape the direction Highland Springs is headed.

“It’s a great honor,” says Ted Seloff, one of the new RAC members.

Primary election
Excitement was high in the weeks leading up to the elections—these were the first in the young community’s history. About 70 residents were nominated to run, and 31 decided to throw their names in the ring.

Candidates didn’t formally campaign, but they wore buttons to indicate they were running. There was also a table set up near the game room where questionnaires the candidates filled out were available.

On election day, there was a buzz in the air. A resident-run voting committee was responsible for setting up and monitoring the vote.

Throughout the day, a steady stream of people came by to cast their ballots. At the end of the day, voter turnout was above 90%.

“You can tell this is a community that cares,” remarked Phyllis Dunkin when she saw how many people had turned out to vote.

Best place to live
Operations Associate Heather Ancheta, who recently joined the staff at Highland Springs and is pursuing a Ph.D. in gerontology at the University of North Texas, says she was amazed by the energy and enthusiasm the residents brought to the election.

“It’s just incredible to me to see how involved this community is,” Ancheta says. “The level of energy here is wonderful and unique.”

And the winning candidates are eager to reflect that level of enthusiasm back into the community. 

“Because the residents showed so much interest, it will be incumbent upon us to make this the best possible place to live,” Seloff says.