43
TEENS TAKE CHARGE
Photo
3rd Ward Councilman, Mario Leone, age 17 of Boardman raises his hand in order to speak during a mock city council meeting at the Youngstown City Council Chambers on Wednesday. High school juniors from thirty local schools participated in the event coordinated by the Youth Leadership Mahoning Valley program.
Photo
2nd Ward Councilwoman Leah Kook, age 16 of JFK High School, speaks about a proposed teen center during a mock city council meeting at the Youngstown City Council Chambers on Wednesday. High school juniors from thirty local schools participated in the event coordinated by the Youth Leadership Mahoning Valley program.
By KATIE SEMINARA
Valley students debate in mock council meeting in real setting
Dressed in a suit and tie with an American flag pin on his collar, Evan Beil was ready to play his role as the mayor of Youngstown.
He got his shot as the city’s chief executive during a mock council meeting.
The 17-year-old from Boardman High School looked the part and said previous school programs, such as the speech and debate team, prepared him for the event.
“I’m considering running for public office,” said Beil.
About 50 Youth Leadership Mahoning Valley students, representing 30 schools in Mahoning and Trumbull counties, gathered in Youngstown City Council Chambers for the mock session Wednesday.
Youth Leadership Mahoning Valley is a program designed to involve high school sophomores and juniors who have demonstrated leadership qualities in various educational activities during a five-month period, said Karen Stacey, executive director.
The mock meeting primarily focused on the possibility of a teen center being built in the city. The mayor’s argument was that the center would help keep youths off the streets and help increase high school graduation rates.
“Youngstown needs teens to one day help the economy; they’re the future,” said Mayor Beil.
“By not supporting the teen center, you obviously don’t care about Youngstown’s future,” he said, addressing the council members.
The majority of the council members strongly opposed the mayor’s idea of a teen center in the area. They vocalized concerns about funding the center, operation of the center and how it would pertain to high school graduation rates.
“You say the youth is the future, but are you OK with potentially leaving them with debt?” asked 6th Ward Councilman Joe Charnas, 16, of Lakeview High School.
The proposed cost of the teen center would range from $500,000 to $1 million, said Mayor Beil.
“I’m not here to make friends, I’m here to do what’s best for the city and county,” he said while standing behind the idea of a teen center that would encourage youth to lead successful lives.
But in reality, Beil was among friends and fellow future leaders who played the roles of area residents, news media, council members and city officials.
Citizen Dominique Zordich, 17, of Cardinal Mooney High School, raised the point that graduation rates won’t change simply because a teen center is established. Hilary Carr, 16, of Mineral Ridge High School, was also participating as a concerned resident and proposed the idea of creating a small teen center to start, then expanding the center based on its success.
Both Zordich and Carr agreed that the mock meeting was beneficial because it showed them the process of local government and encouraged them to get involved in their cities.
“Everyone voiced their own opinions and supported those opinions,” said Zordich, of what she thought was most productive.
Leah Kook, 16, of Warren John F. Kennedy High School, played the 2nd Ward councilwoman and said she thought the mock meeting was “really interesting.”
“A lot goes into each decision and then those decisions lead to more decisions,” said Kook, who was very vocal in her role.
The students had the assistance of three real Youngstown council members: Annie Gillam, D-1st; Carol Rimedio-Righetti, D-4th; and John Swierz, D-7th.