As a child, I looked forward to any chance I had to visit the city, to soak up the hustle and bustle and escape the placid atmosphere of West Auckland. This fascination stuck with me through my undergraduate years, as walking up Queen Street became part of my daily routine. Yet, ten years on, as I have come to call Grafton home, I find the city’s charm has slowly eroded, replaced by a ghost of its former self. While I don’t claim to have all the answers to the city’s conundrums, I’m standing for the Waitematā Local Board to be part of the solution. Having nearly completed my PhD in community development and spent the last four years teaching over 800 university students, I am confident that I can represent the close to 10,000 students who live in the city centre, while also bringing a fresh perspective to the board.