HIGH-SCHOOLERS GET HANDS-ON LESSION IN GOVERNMENT

Decisions made by students participating in the Optimist Club Youth in Government Day Wednesday may influence their adult role models to take action in the future.

Seventy students from Cape Girardeau Central, Notre Dame, Jackson, Oak Ridge and Delta high schools got a hands-on lesson in government during the annual event, which allows students to assume the roles of city, county and federal government officials for a day.

Government officials said the students expressed a lot of concern for safety, awareness and protecting the environment during the mock city council meetings. They said some of the suggestions made could be considered for adoption by the adult councils.

"I think they'll look at some of these things and consider them," said Jackson City Administrator Steve Wilson. "I think it's very normal for some of the things that come out of these mock sessions to be adopted."

The students and their role models spent the morning touring Jackson and Cape Girardeau government offices and discussing current issues faced by local government officials. City council meetings were then held to give the students a new view of how government works.

"I didn't realize what goes into being prepared for one of these meetings," said Caroline Giles, a council representative from Cape Girardeau Central High School.

Councilman Matt Fisher from Notre Dame High School said it was very difficult, but he enjoyed the control aspect of the job. "I liked being able to say what could or couldn't happen in our community," he said.

The Cape Girardeau mock city council addressed the same agenda used by the adult council Monday night. Most of the issues on the agenda were passed, although the mock council did not approve a special permit request to open a day-care center in a residential area that was approved by the real council.

Students also voted unanimously to submit a resolution to the adult city council recommending that the student participants be adopted as an advisory board. The resolution will be submitted to the adult council for discussion.

"We've got a good chance to involve the youth of our community in the government process," said Thomas M. Meyer, co-chairman of the event. "What better group to have represent the youth of our community than these youth? I think we would be in good hands to ask them questions important to our community."

Students at the Jackson mock city council were given a mock agenda of real issues facing the community. The students discussed how to handle dust control in the city, litter control around the schools, speeding in the parks, and regular drug inspections in the school by the Jackson Police Department canine unit.

"They voted unanimously that the police canine units should be used not only in the school building, but to check bookbags and vehicles on the property twice each month during the school year," Wilson said. "We were very surprised by this vote."

The Jackson mock council also recommended that the Jackson Board of Education allow students to volunteer for a trash patrol during a study hall each day to improve the appearance of the communities surrounding the schools. Wilson said the adult city council may consider making this suggestion to the school board also.

Meyer said students this year took the event much more seriously than he has ever seen.

"The students are really sharp," he said. "They are very aware of what's going on in their community. This group took this in the most serious way I've seen in 12 years."