Students from Logansport High School participated in the 65th annual Good Government Day. They were able to meet Diego Morales, the Secretary of State, and meet up with leaders of the community to be mentored to learn what really goes on behind the scenes of City Government.
“Along with students learning the importance of service, duty, and local opportunities, Good Government Day secures a partnership with elected officials and student potential officials,” English teacher Julien Gaumer said. “Basically, it helps further develop the understanding of the cycle of good and important leadership which needs to be cultivated at the youth level, in order to get the system in good standing.”
Mayor Chris Martin also found this day has a huge impact in his life.
“I always look forward to seeing the engagement from the students on this day because it allows for myself to explain how local government works,” Martin said. “ I was mayor for the day in 2009, so if you ever want to be Mayor, just start with this day.”
Many felt inspired after seeing the Indiana Secretary Of State Diego Morales.
“Good Government Day definitely had an impact on me, specifically the speech by Diego Morales,” senior Aryan Patel said. “I thought he shared a very inspirational story that motivates me and others to go out and reach their goals. My favorite part of Good Government Day was meeting and listening to Diego Morales. He was a very nice and motivational person, and you could definitely tell that he wanted what was best for the state and country as a whole.”
For Patel, it helped him realize the importance of government.
“I believe Good Government Day is important so high schoolers can get a feel for the local government process at the city level,” Patel said. “It helps us understand how the city is actually run and why certain projects take the amount of
time they do to be completed. I learned how the city government is set up and specifically learned how a city council meeting is held. I also learned the importance of voting and being actively involved within our community.”
Many students enjoyed the experience of shadowing the department heads, and city officials. For senior Vasan Nomany, it was an eye-opening experience.
“Good Government Day was really fun in my opinion, I got to experience a little bit of it last year when we had Mayor Martin and another guest speaker,” Nomany said. “Then I also went to the city building and I got a sneak peek of the mock city council meeting, which was similar to last year. However, after that, a whole new window opened up. I was with Janet Fawley, the park’s administrator, and following her around for the day was a lot of fun. It was really eye-opening because I never really knew what happened behind the scenes, so just going around with Janet was really amazing to see what work went into the parks that we enjoy.”
Fawley also enjoys Good Government Day because she has the chance to speak to students and share a sneak peek of the city’s government.
“Certainly my favorite part about Good Government Day is sharing what we have in the parks with the students,” Fawley said. “I’ve done this now for over 25 years, and it’s always been something that has been a part of our programming for the city, so I love it.”
Fawley believes that it’s an amazing opportunity to see what really goes on, and the services that we sometimes may take for granted.
“It gives an opportunity to see how the government works. I wish there would be more kids, so they can learn too. I mean most people think most of what we do costs 20,000-40,000, in reality, we sit on 100,000-200,000,” Fawley said. “I feel like we can teach more people the value of the work we do, then maybe they will help us take care of the park.”
