Bryce Blankenship’s Background
While working at a camp in New Mexico in 2007, Blankenship had his first encounter with the University of Idaho after approaching someone wearing a UI sweatshirt. Being from Kansas City originally, Blankenship’s first reaction to the stranger’s subsequent explanation of our university and Moscow itself was that it sounded like an entirely made-up place.
Following the completion of his undergraduate degree in 2009, Blankenship decided to move westward in 2011 to attend UI for his graduate studies.
“I immediately loved the town, the pace of life, the community feel…and I kind of got pretty sucked in,” he said.
Ever since his initial move to Moscow, Blankenship has been teaching at UI in some capacity or another and is currently a senior instructor teaching philosophy.
His passion for teaching and working with students in the classroom runs parallel with his love of frequently engaging with community members while working as a bartender at The Black Cypress restaurant in Pullman, which he has done for five years now.
After 12 years of living here yet still not feeling his strong appreciation for Moscow start to subside, Blankenship finally decided to make himself a candidate for Moscow City Council, and did so on the basis of wanting to be involved and invested in making decisions that can yield a locally substantial impact and ensure that Moscow continues to flourish as a vibrant city.
What are your main campaign goals and what do you want to change in Moscow?
Running on the slogan of “Move Moscow Forward,” Blankenship has identified a few of the areas he would like to focus on if elected.
First is sustainable development in relation to Moscow’s consistent growth, in which Blankenship wants to position the city more appropriately for the future through things like practicing mindful zoning.
Secondly, Blankenship aspires to explore ways water is managed in Moscow, all of which comes from the Palouse Basin Aquafer.
“We’re not at any sort of immediate risk of running out of water, but within the next couple of generations that possibility becomes more likely,” he said.
Lastly, if elected, Blankenship hopes to retain a working mindset of learning and listening. As a counselor, he would like to be a visible figure people could feel comfortable approaching.
In what ways can the relationship between the University of Idaho and Moscow community be improved?
Blankenship aims to act as a conduit between student voices and perspectives and those of the city. Additionally, Blankenship would also like it if a provost or university representative were available to attend Moscow City Council meetings to provide regular and general updates.
Also, Blankenship already encourages his students to physically spend more time in the Moscow community and is a strong advocate for the intergenerational friendships that can form when these two groups of stakeholders collide.
Are there any problems or areas of improvement in Moscow you have identified?
“To my understanding, all things considered, Moscow is in a pretty good place,” said Blankenship, who sees this as an encouraging sign. Thus, he is more focused on improving where Moscow’s at already, which includes strengthening the mutually beneficial relationship between UI students and Moscow community members.
Why should people vote for you?
“I think that I am a really good listener and I think that I’m a really good perspective taker,” said Blankenship and credited the time he is spent in the classroom with providing him a unique skillset; one of which that is prepared him to discuss and deal with differing viewpoints coming from several types of people. In a holistic sense, Blankenship has a goal and hope of addressing, through the work he would be able to do, his own concern of how to “preserve so much of what makes Moscow so special.”
Herman Roberts can be reached at [email protected]