Republican Randy Neugebauer gave voters a chance to speak their minds at a town hall-style meeting Monday afternoon at McMurry University.

Unlike Sen. Arlen Specter and other senators who have withstood verbal blitzkriegs, Neugebauer was on friendly turf. To no one’s surprise, health care and health care reform dominated the forums discussion; and to the surprise of few – and disappointment of some – everyone in attendance kept their hands to themselves.

So what more could you ask for than a bit of civilized back and forth between representative and constituent?

We are asking for a few more university students.

In the students’ defense, Rep. Neugebauer’s “Abilene coffee” could have been at a more convenient place and time. In the future someone should inform our representative that 2:30 p.m. on the first day of class for Abilene Christian University, Hardin-Simmons University, McMurry University and every public school in the city is a bad time. If he wanted to hear from the 18-25 year-old demographic or Abilene parents, he must not have wanted to hear it that badly. Who drinks coffee at 5:30 p.m., anyway?

A town hall meeting in Abilene might sound as exciting as picking weeds with your grandmother, but what better opportunity do students have to literally make their voices heard?

Thanks to today’s media, “health care” has become babies’ first word. TV, Internet and radio spew information 24 hours a day, some of it accurate, some not. Students must resist the urge to rely on only CNN, foxnews.com or NPR, although they are all great places to start.

National media do their best to analyze the local impact of events in Washington, but students have the right-and the ability-to hear from their representative’s mouth exactly how bills will affect them and why he or she is or is not supporting it. The United States government was designed to keep the power in the hands of the people. Do not hand that power over to representatives by wondering where tax money goes or what you can do about it. Students can do something, and a chance passed through Abilene Monday. Do not let another pass you by.