The History and Political Science Club at Indiana University East will host a “Meet-And-Greet” question and answer session with city candidates running in the primary election on Tuesday, April 12. The meet-and-greet will be held from 4-6 p.m. in the Whitewater Hall Community Room.

The event is free and open to the public.

Paul Kriese, associate professor of political science, will moderate the session. Kriese is the co-advisor of the History and Political Science Club.

“This is an opportunity for people to see the candidates and to ask them the questions that they feel are important,” Kriese said.

Candidates will briefly introduce themselves and the office they are seeking during City of Richmond Municipal Primary Election 2011 to be held May 3.

Clayton Haisley, a political science major and president of the History and Political Science Club at IU East, said the club chose to work with the candidates to make this event a reality because it lies in our shared belief that one of the most important issues pertaining to elections is an informed electorate.

“By working with the candidates, we are attempting to provide an opportunity for the students at IU East, and the members of our local community in general to obtain information about the candidates in a direct, non-partisan, and informal manner,” Haisley said. “As our resident political scientist and co-academic advisor would say, the government of We, the people, is all about access. By working to provide the local community with better access to electoral candidates, we are seeking to do our part in promoting political awareness and education, especially at the level where it is quite possibly the most important- the local level.”

“In order to get the most out of America’s federalist republican democracy, our society needs full participation by its citizens in order to raise questions that need to be raised and, to weed out those whose political stances we feel might not serve as the best way to meet the needs of our society,” Haisley said.