Rachel Heaton
The Paw Print
Former ASU student Jan Vigil has jumped straight into action following his graduation from Adams State last year. Vigil, who graduated with degrees in History and Political Science, has announced that he will run for Alamosa City Council for the Councilor At Large seat in this fall’s election. “I believe this town needs a new set of eyes, a new face, new leadership,” Vigil said.
Vigil states that he is not tied to any group but instead is just here for the people. “It sounds so cliché,” he said, “but I really want to be a true representative of the people.” A lot of Vigil’s focus is on Adams State and Trinidad State Junior College (TSJC). He especially wants to represent the younger Alamosa population, concentrating on ASU and TSJC. “Without them,” he said, “this town is a ghost town.” He also wants to be a voice for the underprivileged and the people in the shadows.
One of Vigil’s main campaign themes is the idea of “we.” He believes in getting together with others and talking about things, rather than rushing to a stance on an issue. He said that this is “a ‘we’ thing. It goes to what we need to do, what we can accomplish for our city.” Vigil believes that our different races, religions, social classes, and genders aren’t what matter here. It’s ‘we’ that makes up Alamosa.
Vigil has lived in Alamosa for seven years now and began school at Adams State in the fall of 2006. He says he fell in love with the town and the school, and that is the reason he is still here today. Vigil was very active in his time at ASU. He played for the football team, was an assistant women’s basketball coach, was president of the Newman club, and was involved with AS&F. Vigil also met his wife here. He says that he really cares about the people here.
So far, Vigil has several ideas of changes or improvements that could be made in Alamosa. For starters, he would like to see the city create a dog park since so many people here are pet owners. He also wants to work to get East Alamosa incorporated into the city limits. Going along with Vigil’s main goals, he hopes to continue and enhance the relationship between ASU, TSJC, and the Alamosa school board. He also wants to keep a strong relationship with other communities in the San Luis Valley. Vigil also promises that he will attend most, if not all, of the meetings if he is elected.
As for why Vigil is running so soon after graduating, he said, “I was raised to do something, not just sit back and let it happen.” His advice for today’s students is “find that one thing that you’re great at and go for it, whatever it may be. If you’re good at guitar, football, your studies, find it and go as hard as you can. It will require hard work. You have to get up and do something about it. That’s how you build character, get up and do something, and that’s what I’m doing.”
This year’s election is mail-in ballot only. The ballots will be sent out on October 15 and are due to the County Clerk’s office across from Sacred Heart Parish by 5 p.m. on November 5. The last day to register online to vote in the election is eight days before November 5. However, this year, for the first time in Colorado history, people can register and vote on the same day.
If you would like to get ahold of Vigil, you can contact him through his Facebook page, Jan Vigil for Alamosa City Council or facebook.com/JanVigil4citycouncil. Vigil also asks that people “Like” his Facebook page, share it, and help spread the word. He says that word of mouth is huge. In the end, Vigil said, “None of this matters if you don’t register and vote!”
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