The mayor of Charleston, John Inyart, visited Stevenson Dining Hall Thursday to have lunch with Eastern students. The annual lunch was led by student government members.

The group discussed political issues, ways to improve the community and the relations between Eastern and the city. The group of six also discussed everyday life around a lunch of sandwiches, chili and snacks.

Student Senate members Tommy Nierman, Caleb Will, Miriam Torres and Kyle Scherle discussed topics that would affect Eastern students with Inyart for the full amount of time. The lunch lasted from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and was sponsored by student government’s external relations committee.

Students asked Inyart what current projects are a priority in Charleston.

“The city is currently in the second year of a three-year project to upgrade the city’s waste water treatment center, which cost $7 million,” Inyart said. “Another project is repairing Ninth Street, which is a two-year plan being funded by the fuel taxes.”

After the event, Nierman said he was extremely pleased with the outcome.

“We cannot really have a big attendance like 40 people because it is meant more to be a personal event where students can sit down and have an easy-going conversation with the mayor,” Nierman said. “It was pretty consistent with what we have had in years past.”

Inyart said he was also pleased with the event and was happy being able to get to know Eastern students in a laid-back and friendly way around a lunch.

The student government members in attendance said they had a lot of fun being able to eat and talk with the mayor of Charleston.

Miriam Torres, a senior political science and history major, said she felt events like this could be good for Eastern students.

“It is good for us to develop a relationship with the city so that we can better petition our ideas to the city to let them know what we want,” Torres said. “It also helps bring the community of Charleston together more.”

Steven Pucshmann can be reached at 581-2812 or srpuschmann@eiu.edu.