Young University Park residents took a behind-the-scenes tour of city government on June 26, exploring the interior of a jail cell, taking the wheel of a fire engine, and swinging the gavel at a mock city council meeting.
The second through seventh graders were participants in the first-ever YAC Discovery Day, a project from University Park’s Youth Advisory Commission. The high school members of the commission, who volunteer at events and learn about city operations, started planning for the morning of exploration in late April.
“We’re hoping that it empowers them to be advocates in their own community,” explained YAC’s spring project coordinator Campbell Ragan. “Whether that’s in the classroom, standing up for what they believe in, or just knowing what goes on behind the scenes in their daily lives.”
During a tour of the city’s police station, crime prevention officer Andra Iancu walked students through each step of the prisoner booking process, ending with a look inside one of the city’s two jail cells.
“There are rumors, and they’re true,” she told her young guests when she showed them the slot for passing meal trays into the cells. University Park does serve prisoners meals from neighborhood favorite Bubba’s Cooks Country.
At the fire station, driver/engineer Scott Rattan answered questions about everything from the height of one of the department’s old ladders (75 feet), to whether firefighters get Bubba’s as well (they don’t) and how many pets he’s rescued from trees (two cats, but not any dogs yet).
Eight-year-old Scout Smiley called the city jail and fire department lounge, which featured cozy recliners, her favorite parts of the tour. She hesitated when asked whether she would want to be a prisoner in University Park.
“The beds don’t look that soft and the toilets are metal, but you do get Bubba’s,” she remarked thoughtfully, before deciding that she would pass.
Discovery Day participants ended the morning at a mock city council meeting, where they tackled the question of whether the city should create a hypothetical dog park.
Each student was assigned a role in the dog park debate, with some serving as city staffers, two as mayor, and others as residents who either favored or opposed the creation of a doggie destination within city boundaries.
There were strong arguments on both sides. Dogs need their exercise, and many other cities already have parks for them to play. “Just think about how jealous our citizens are,” remarked 11-year-old Will Stone, playing the role of a city staffer. Opponents raised concerns about expense, noise, and safety.
At the meeting’s end, the mayors and their audience voted unanimously in favor of a park’s creation. Even those students who had played the roles of dog park dissenters gave the plan the green light.
Joint mayors 9-year-old Stella Helt and 10-year-old Pierce Bowen called taking the helm of the city the highlight of their mornings.
“It felt cool to be the leaders for one day,” Helt said.
University Park’s special projects coordinator Amanda Hartwick, who helps guide the Youth Advisory Commission, explained that the high schoolers had taken ownership of the project and responsibility for the extensive planning involved.
“I think they did a tremendous job,” she said. “We’re proud of them.”
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