University of Memphis students don't know what to think about Memphis Mayor Willie Herenton ... or they simply don't know anything about him at all.
Many students are more worried about grades and term papers than the political quagmire in Memphis. But with talk of a possible recall election, some are paying attention and forming opinions.
"It seems like he had a lot of goals and objectives, but in the third term there should have been some improvement," said James Robinson, a junior management information systems major. "The management of the city's funds needs to be addressed."
With a recall election the problem may be larger than the possibility of mismanaged funds.
Still, many don't know or care to know about the city's situation.
"I sit in my class before the professors get there and talk to people I know," said Josh Mogle, sophomore business major. "It's amazing a lot of students either don't watch the news and don't know about the politics in Memphis."
Mogle has formed his own opinions about Mayor Herenton and the job he's done since his mayoral debut in 1991.
"He kind of comes off as crooked to me," he said. "The fact he wants to consolidate the city of Memphis and Shelby County really bothers me."Even if it doesn't happen," said Mogle of a recall election, "it would help more people realize that he's impacting people negatively."
Movement toward a recall election is only in the early stages. A petition for a recall election cannot be filed before the third year of the Mayor's term. If it is filed it must be signed by 15 percent of registered voters -- a total that comes to just under 70,000.
Some U of M students think the Mayor is doing fine and a recall election is not needed.
"They're just pissed off," said Danielle Taylor, senior marketing major. "They just care about how much money is coming out of their pocket."
Many students interviewed who have come to school from out of state don't pay attention to the political controversy in Memphis.
"A lot of students just don't have the time to catch the news or see what's going on," said Anne Gray, freshman music education major.But Robinson is on the opposite end of the information spectrum as it pertains to Herenton.
He did not take long at all to notice the problems with Memphis government situation what was happening with Memphis politics.
"In the first two months I was here I noticed it," said Robinson. "If they change from personal to business they'll get it (right)."
