Last September, in a hotly contested primary election that garnered significant attention on campus, Ethan Ris '05 was defeated by Seth Yurdin for the Democratic nomination for the Ward 1 City Council seat, with 458 votes to Yurdin's 641.
Now, the 23-year-old former president of the Brown Democrats is focusing on his job at the Met Center, a public college preparatory school in South Providence. But Ris said he still keeps an eye on political happenings, both locally and nationally.
After last fall's primary defeat in Ward 1, which encompasses the Fox Point neighborhood and most of Brown's campus, Ris got the chance "to relax a little bit" and follow the 2006 elections as a spectator.
"I got the chance to blog about it for Comedy Central, which was a lot of fun," Ris said. He was also elected vice president of the Fox Point Citizens' Association last year, where he "focused on a lot of local issues," like promoting small businesses and dealing with waterfront issues affecting Fox Point.
While he's not without regrets, Ris has moved on from the disappointment of last year's city council defeat. "Probably, for me, it was a good thing I lost. I realize I have plenty of time and more to learn," Ris said, adding, "I don't think the city's going to hell or anything."
Overall, Ris said he is pretty satisfied with the current state of affairs in the city. "I'd like to see more action, as always, (but) I think the City Council is in a much better place than it was before the '06 election," he said. He praised City Council President Peter Mancini and Mayor David Cicilline '83 for their leadership.
But Ris is not a fan of former Mayor Vincent "Buddy" Cianci, now a radio show host after his recent release from prison, where he served five years for racketeering and other corruption charges.
"He has a right to free speech," Ris said, but added that "it doesn't change the fact that he's a criminal, that he stole from the people of Providence."
The main issue Ris said he would like to see garner more local focus is education.
"A lot of people are still turning a blind eye to education, not willing to engage the issue," Ris said. "For the first time, the council has a committee on education, which is great, but so far it has accomplished nothing."
Ris said he was disappointed at the council's lack of action during teacher contract negotiations that took place earlier this fall.
For his part, Ris enjoys being directly involved in improving education in Providence. He plans to continue in his position at the Met indefinitely, calling it "a great job."
"It's pretty morally unambiguous, helping poor kids get into college," he said.
Ris said he will likely return to school for a graduate degree at some point, but he said he sees himself settling in Rhode Island permanently. "It's certainly a great place to work, a great place to raise a family," he said.
A native of Washington, D.C., Ris said he's always been interested in politics. Upon arriving at Brown, he quickly got involved with the Brown Democrats and served as its president his sophomore year.
"I pretty quickly got to know all of our players in the political arena," he said. His junior and senior years, he got more involved with political campaigns and got a job with the Mayor's Office in City Hall. By that time, he "felt very much a part of the Rhode Island political scene."
Meanwhile, Ris is looking forward to the 2008 presidential elections. He is supporting Sen. Hillary Clinton's, D-N.Y., campaign for the nomination. "I think the Democrats have an excellent chance of winning this election," he said. "What we need right now is competence, and Hillary is certainly competent."
He plans to be actively involved in the elections. "I'll probably be in a swing state, working, going door-to-door," he said.
Asked whether he'll be blogging again for Comedy Central, Ris laughed. "I'd be open to it. ... Comedy Central hasn't called yet."
While Ris said he's not currently planning another campaign, "that doesn't mean I won't run again in the future."
"I definitely have a desire to serve in public life at some point. I don't think losing a city council election at age 23 has knocked me out of politics for life," he said. "I'm not in a rush."
"I feel I have a good grasp of the issues, but more time observing and more time participating will help me become a better person in the political world," he said. "I'm committed to Providence, I love Rhode Island. ... I have no intention of giving up on that."
