Evanston City Council got a facelift Tuesday as members of theMcGaw YMCA’s City Youth and Government program took over thecouncil chambers.
In a three-hour session, the group, comprised of ninth- and10th-graders mainly from Evanston Township High School, passedordinances ranging from a ban on smoking in public areas to raisingthe speed limit near ETHS.
The meeting today was the culmination of two months of trainingand planning.
“We want them to try to get a good understanding of how the cityof Evanston works,” said Sara Jean-Paul, the program manager at theYMCA. “It’s also important that they have knowledge of how tochange something.”
The student participants gained this knowledge by attendingweekly meetings, featuring guest speakers from Evanston citygovernment.
“We try to give them the tools to have as authentic anexperience as possible,” Jean-Paul said.
The speakers gave lectures not only on the structure of Evanstongovernment but also on meeting etiquette and parliamentaryprocedure. Ordinances were written and presented exactly as theywould be in a real City Council meeting.
The structure of the student council also mirrors that of thecity of Evanston, although the number of participants was less thisyear than in the past — nine students compared with 30.
Acting Ald. Isaac La Mell (5th) — she’s an ETHS freshman –said this year’s decreased numbers were because speakers from theYMCA weren’t allowed to attend classes at ETHS.
While past City Youth and Government councils had a mayor,aldermen, appointed city officials and a press corps, this year’scouncil was unique in that two students served dual roles as thepress and as aldermen.
Despite this conflict of interest, participants said they reallyenjoyed the program.
“It’s good to get involved and learn more about city government”said Ald. Hecky Powell, Jr. (4th), a sophomore at ETHS. This isPowell’s second year in the program. Last year he was the mayor –an unprecedented role for a freshman.
Aldermanic adviser Richard Davis, Weinberg ’73, said that in thepast a number of City Youth and Government participants went on tobe involved with the state, including two who became stategovernors. One of these previous participants, Eamon Kelly, nowworks for Gov. Rod Blagojevich in the Evanston area.
Adviser Davis said he admires the State Youth and Governmentprogram for the freedom it gives to students.
“In typical student government programs, proposals are alwayssubject to the approval of administration,” he said. “But (withState Youth and Government) the only limits are limits studentsimpose on themselves.”
Two of this year’s participants, Powell and ETHS sophomore MargyLevinson, said they hope to be in the state program next year.
