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Campbell students take over city council
Civic Day in Campbell
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For Civic Day, seniors at Campbell Memorial High School shadowed a city/school official and held a mock city council meeting.
By Sarah Lehr
CAMPBELL
A heated debate erupted on the floor of city council Friday about whether a tattoo parlor should be allowed to open in the city, ensuring that all council members and the council clerk “have free tattoos for life.”
Twenty-seven Campbell Memorial High School students spent the day shadowing city and school officials. Government teacher Brett Abeid selected the students based on interest, high grades and positive behavior.
Civic Day, an annual event, culminated with a mock council session featuring legislation proposed entirely by the students.
The tattoo-parlor proposal was especially controversial due to its method of funding. The student-legislators wanted to bankroll the parlor, in part, by slashing the mayor’s salary to $2 per week.
The initiative prompted Gio Bruno, mayor for the day, to announce his resignation midmeeting. Unfortunately for Bruno, however, his classmates on council refused to accept the resignation.
John’tez Scrivens, who shadowed the third ward city councilman, acknowledged that the mayoral salary cut was proposed in jest. Still, Scrivens said, the debate highlighted a real issue.
“Cutting people’s salaries is kind of hard – thinking about their families,” Scrivens said. “But, when it’s for the city, some sacrifices need to be made.”
Scrivens now plans to attend a real Campbell City Council meeting. In the future, he may even run for political office.
The purpose of Civic Day is to foster exactly that kind of engagement, said Joseph Mazzocca Jr., the actual third ward councilman.
“Hopefully, they’ll be sitting in our seats one day,” Mazzocca said.