|
|
Wright
State Lake Campus freshmen – both GHS graduates – Jennifer
Westfall (left) and Brooke Kennedy are attending public meetings and
interviewing a public official as part of a history class assignment.
“It’s been an interesting experience,” they said, noting it was “stuff”
they needed to know.
|
|
Students assigned to
learn about their community
By Bob Robinson
GREENVILLE – Two Wright State Lake Campus freshmen – one of them a
former Key Club member – attended a Greenville Kiwanis meeting recently
as part of a history assignment at school.
The two students, Jennifer Westfall, who was in Key Club last year, and
Brooke Kennedy – both 2010 Greenville High School graduates – are
enrolled in Early Childhood Education, but are fulfilling a basic
freshman course requirement. Neither was sure how this related to their
major, but said it was an interesting experience.
“We didn’t really know what to expect,” they said, “but we learned a
lot. It doesn’t have anything to do with our program, but it’s stuff we
need to know.”
In addition to the Kiwanis Luncheon, they are required to attend
another public meeting, a city council meeting and have an interview a
political figure.
They chose Mayor Mike Bowers for the interview.
Kennedy said she had no idea of the duties of a mayor, but was
surprised at the number of different departments he oversees and his
involvement in the various community activities.
“He’s actually involved in our town,” she said.
The students were at the Greenville City Council meeting the evening
the Sex Offender Ban was passed.
“I didn’t know this was an issue,” Westfall said. “A lady talked about
being stabbed… here in Greenville?”
Kennedy said she didn’t know what to expect… she’d never been to a
council meeting before. Both expressed surprise as what was going on in
the community.
While Westfall had been to some Kiwanis meetings in the past, Kennedy
hadn’t. She said she wasn’t sure what to expect there, either, but that
it was interesting.
“All of this has made me more aware of what’s going on,” Kennedy said.
“I didn’t really think about it, I guess.”
“It really opened my eyes to what’s going on in this town,” Westfall
added.
Neither indicated an expanded interest in public affairs as a result of
the assignment, but noted that it was information they needed to know
about their community.
“It didn’t really pique my interest,” Westfall said. Kennedy added that
it didn’t change her outlook.
Both agreed, however, it was a worthwhile assignment to find out what
was happening where they live.
Bob Robinson is the
retired editor of The Daily Advocate, Greenville, Ohio, a Senior Scribe
and Editor of County News Online. If you wish to receive a daily
notification of County News Online posts, send your email address to:
countynewsonline@gmail.com. Feel free to express your views.
|
|
|
|
