By Connie Martinez ‘19 and Kimberly Martinez ‘19

On June 1, students from Passaic High School participated in the annual Youth in City Government Day. Through this event, students are able to see up close the jobs of City Hall and Passaic School Board members. On this day, students dressed their best and were ready to take notes about the person they were shadowing for the day.

For two hours, students got to see a glimpse of a day in the life of their assigned individual, their responsibilities, and challenges they may face. The students got to interact with them and get to know them better. They are able to know how they got there, what their profession requires, and how they were able to achieve it.

Once the students were finished, were escorted on a guided tour of Passaic City Hall, during which they were informed of the different city departments and how they work.

Once the tour ended, the students headed back to the council room to watch a mock trial. The council members were represented by the students who shadowed. Members of the audience were able to participate and present ongoing problems to the Council. The mock trial showcases to the students how Mayor Hector Lora and the Council men/women come together in order to resolve the conflicts within the community or try to come up with a reasonable solution.

When the mock trial finished, the students and a few of the City hall members head towards the Sevilla Restaurant to have lunch. The afternoon began with an opening speech from Germaine Gibson, Vice President of the Optimist Club. A few more guest speakers proceeded to present like Mayor Lora and the Superintendent of Passaic Schools, Pablo Munoz. Lunch was served shortly after, which gave students time to sit down and talk about the overall experience of the day.

Later on, Passaic High School’s choir performed two songs, “This is Me” and “Home Sweet Home.” After their beautiful performance, a had a few more guest speakers shared words of wisdom, such as Mr. Maisonet, Assistant Principal at PHS, and Michele Merced. One by one, the students came up to the front to receive their certificate for being part of this event, and later receiving their shirts.