Students Get Down to Business with Glendale City Council

On Wednesday, students from , , Herbert Hoover High School and Glendale High School met with the Glendale City Council in the third annual "Students in Government Day."

Eight representatives from the respective school governments joined Mayor Ara Najarian and the managers of the city's 13 departments. The event provided the attendees with the opportunity to ask government officials questions and learn more about what goes on behind the scenes.

Teens enjoyed refreshments and sat around the City Manager's Conference Room meeting table. Before opening the four-hour meeting up to questions, Najarian addressed the students.

He recounted that "graduating from high school seemed like such a huge milestone, but once you graduate you realize you have all these other challenges ahead." Therefore, he advised the future leaders to "turn up the effort." 

"You can't let your foot off the gas; work very hard at getting into the best college you can."

Najarian acknowledged that even though "there's no real course that can prepare you for being in government and city leadership," there is one thing students can do to be better prepared for any career, and that was to major in English.

"So much that we do is still written work," he explained. He went on to stress the importance of "being able to read something and quickly obtain the information that was given."

"Focus on your English skills; you will use those in whatever field of study you're ultimately going to get into, whether it's law, politics, the press, city government ... a clarity of the English language will put you miles ahead."

After Najarian's motivational words, he gave Council Member John Drayman the floor, who, in turn, invited the students to ask previously-prepared questions. 

Among the thoughtful inquiries were questions like, "On average, how many cases does the city handle each month?" "How hard is it to maintain our low crime rates in Glendale?" "What types of careers did council members have before they took office?" and many more.

One question, "What is one moral obligation that all police officers must follow in the line of duty?" was fielded by Police Captain Mike Rock. He explained that there was no "one" obligation, but that the police department's "whole field of endeavor is predicated on good behavior."

"We hold ourself to a higher standard," he explained. Then, citing a specific example, reported that police in Glendale "never break the law to enforce the law. On television, you see police go a little 'onto the dark side' to make an arrest, but that's something that we don't do; whatever we do has to survive the scrutiny of the system and the community. We practice respectful policing."

Finally, he said "You can treat people respectfully when you enforce the law," and that is what he and the police department strive for.

To another question concerning traffic on Pacific Ave. near Herbert Hoover High, officials explained that there is no plan to increase the speed limit there for the next five years, and that Glendale is "very conservative" in its limits.

After questions were fielded, students and officials dined together in a much-need lunch break, and after visited Council Chambers. It was an educational and informative day, sure to happen again next year.