LYNN — City Hall was filled to the brim with High School students Tuesday, as six schools in Lynn came together to celebrate Student Government Day.
Students from Lynn English High School, Lynn Classical High School, Fecteau-Leary Junior/Senior High School, Lynn Vocational Technical Institute, KIPP Academy and St. Mary’s started the day off in council chambers at 9 a.m. as multiple city and school district officials welcomed them to City Hall and set expectations for the day.
“Student Government Day is an excellent opportunity for our students to participate in an immersive experience at City Hall, be civically engaged and learn firsthand about local government,” Mayor John Nicholson said.
The students then broke off into groups where they participated in a scavenger hunt and City Hall Jeopardy, which were all centered around city government.
For the main event, students were asked to participate in a debate against each other, run by Councilor-at-Large Brian Field and Ward 2 Councilor Obed Matul.
“(Students) debated different topics and the elected councilors from each school voted on who’s idea they supported best,” Field said.
English and Classical went head to head regarding climate resiliency/urban heat. They were asked to recommend a policy that can help the City of Lynn enhance their efforts to build a climate-resilient community and mitigate the rise of urban heat.
Fecteau-Leary and Lynn Tech went head to head regarding housing. They were asked to recommend a policy that focuses on housing, with examples including housing supply and inclusionary housing.
Last but not least, KIPP and St. Mary’s went head to head regarding e-cigarettes/vaping. They were asked to recommend a policy that can help the City of Lynn and Lynn Public School decrease the amount of e-cigarette consumption in youth.
“The debate on both sides was passionate and good, I mean, the kids were really good and understood it,” Field said. “Both sides had great ideas.”
The winners of each debate were Lynn Classical, Fecteau-Leary, and St. Mary’s
“Politics isn’t everybody’s cup of tea, especially when you’re looking at it at the national level. … But, the government has to run and it runs for the people,” Field said. “So, to be engaged and to be involved, that’s how government works best for everybody; when people are involved. And, I think (the students) learned a lot about that today.”
Field said that it’s a great day for students to learn more about city government, while also having fun. Along with the students, the officials enjoyed their time as well.
“As far as the council, we all had a great time. This is one of our favorite days of the year,” Field said.
