|
|
||
|
||
By Matt Kakley April 5, 2008 ... Bills related to high school dropouts and teen drivers' use of cell phones were on the agenda as local students played the role of legislators yesterday at the State House. Students from seven local high schools came to Boston to get a feel for how state government really works. The students attended mock public hearings and acted out formal House and Senate sessions. "(The experience) is pretty surreal,'' said Naja Sobers, a senior at Blackstone-Millville Regional High School. ``It explains a lot about how things really work.'' Sobers, who is secretary of her high school class, said she found her job as clerk for the student Senate a bit hectic, but she enjoyed seeing the State House from a perspective not offered on typical tours. ``You definitely see it in a different way,'' she said. ``Instead of just walking by, you get to sit down in the chairs and think about how many other people have sat in these chairs before.'' Sen. Richard Moore, D-Uxbridge, who met with Sobers and other students from his district, said the program is a great way for students to get involved with state government. ``It gives young people from throughout the commonwealth an opportunity to focus on what state government is all about,'' said Moore, who attended student government day as a Hopedale High School senior in 1961. ``It's a learning experience about how public policy is crafted. More than 300 students from across the state played the role of lawmakers, debating mock legislation. Most students were divided into representatives and senators, while others played the roles of constitutional officers and Supreme Judicial Court justices. The students spent the day debating the merit of two bills. One would suspend teen drivers' licenses for one year if they were caught talking on a cell phone while driving, and the other would require students to stay in school until they are 18. The student legislators voted down both bills. The son of one local legislator said yesterday's exercises will help him in the future, no matter what career path he chooses. ``The ability to lead is important,'' said Michael Fernandes, a Milford High School senior who is the son of state Rep. John Fernandes, D-Milford. ``This experience will be valuable for the rest of my life, whether in politics or not.'' Full story available at the Milford Daily News. |
||
