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KHS Students participate in Youth In Government Convention with Support from Kirkwood Evening Optimists Club
March 11, 2010
More than 40 Kirkwood High School students participated in this year's Youth in Government (YIG) state convention in Jefferson City where they earned several honors. They were led by Kirkwood YIG officers Mackenzie Becker, Taylor Hunt, Angela Seeley, Caroline Curran, and Sam Wolter. Social studies teachers Steve Platte and Peter Stragand serve as YIG club sponsors.
YIG is a YMCA sponsored program that creates a mock state government experience for high school students. During the convention, students literally take over the State Capitol and participate in one of the three branches of state government: legislative, judicial or executive.
According to Platte, this year the Kirkwood YIG club received support from the KHS Student Council to defray some of the expense, but the delegation was still short several hundred dollars to support their participation in the state convention. “Officers Mackenzie Becker and Caroline Curran approached the Kirkwood Evening Optimist Club to ask for help,” says Platte. “President Greg Hilleren's response was simply, ‘How much do you need?’ and the Evening Optimist Club, without hesitation, provided the Youth in Government program a check to cover the shortfall. It is because of this generosity that our entire Kirkwood delegation of students was able to participate at this year's convention,” says Platte.
The students who won awards or state offices are listed below.
Matt Swofford, junior, was elected next year's Youth Governor.
In the executive branch: Mackenzie Becker, senior, was selected to serve as Attorney General.
In the legislative branch: Sam Wolter, sophomore, was elected to served as floor leader and won the "Outstanding Statesperson" award in the House of Representatives.
Taylor Hunt, junior, won an "Outstanding Committee Chair" award.
Jack Stumpf, junior, and Will Axmacher, junior, prepared a proposal that won the "Most Debatable Bill" award.
Jack Stumpf, junior, won a "Special Legislative Award" for his outstanding work in the House.
In the judicial branch: Kate Strube, junior, won the "Best New Attorney" award.
Elise Wehrman, junior, won the "Best Trial Witness" award.
Kate Strube, junior, and Mason Farris, freshman, made it to the finals of the trial competition with Mason and his partner winning the final case in the Missouri Supreme Court. According to Platte, who has attended YIG conventions for more than a decade, a freshman lawyer has never made it to the finals, much less winning them.
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Contact
Ginger Fletcher, Director of Community Relations/Development; 314-213-6100, ext. 7851; 314-600-7773 (cell); ginger.fletcher@kirkwoodschools.org
Nona King, Communications Coordinator; 314-213-6100, ext. 7802; 314-520-6728 (cell); nona.king@kirkwoodschools.org
