One of our biggest goals in making NewsDepth is that students like you become engaged citizens. That means that you learn about things that are going on in your community and you know what your responsibilities are as citizens. Well, we’re about to introduce you to two students at Central Intermediate School, in Wadsworth, who earned this week’s A+ Award by being engaged citizens.
This year in Wadsworth, Trick-or-Treating is limited to the hours of 6 - 8 on October 31st, which is a Monday this year. Sixth graders Emma Warner and Savannah Whited felt that their peers would have a better time if Halloween was held on a Saturday night. “We didn’t think it would be fair for kids to have to go to practice and then rush home for trick or treating,” Savannah explained to us. “We want to see other people happy and having a good time,” Emma added.
That’s when they got to work. They started by creating a petition to share with the Wadsworth City Council stating their case to move the Halloween festivities to Saturday night. A petition is a written request, usually with many signatures, that is presented to someone in charge. The girls then began researching their city council and learned that they could sign up to speak at a council meeting, and that’s exactly what they did. On October 4, they presented their petition and stated their case to the council. They didn’t ultimately change the Trick or Treating schedule for this year, but Wadsworth Mayor Robin Laubaugh said that they’d consider the request for 2023. Before they gave their presentation, they were feeling a bit nervous so they took silly selfies to help relax.
Emma and Savannah told us that they’re really proud of the work they did this year advocating for their ideas. They told us that even though they weren’t successful, they’re encouraged that the Mayor will be looking into it further. They told us that one of the biggest lessons they learned along the way was that it’s important to stand up for your ideas and to work hard to achieve your goals. That’s a great lesson for all of us.
If you’re wondering, Emma is dressing up as a green M&M with another classmate, and Savannah is dressing up as a person being abducted by aliens! This week’s A+ Award winners are Emma and Savannah for engaging in their city government!
Submit your ideas for our NewsDepth A+ segment to newsdepth@ideastream.org for consideration.
