Libertyville High School students quiz mayoral candidates
The messages were familiar but the audience decidedly different Friday as the mayoral campaign came to Libertyville High School.
More than 125 students - in two sessions interrupted by a fire alarm - listened to the candidates, then quizzed Mayor Terry Weppler and his challenger, former Mayor Jeff Harger, on issues.
There were no "gotcha" moments, but students and participants appeared to benefit from a different perspective.
The reasons a long-vacant gas station on Milwaukee Avenue and Route 137 was still there, for example, was a revelation to junior Chris Martin.
"I learned that the political process is a lot more complicated and takes more time" than expected, he said.
Students, including some of voting age, from several classes came to the Studio Theatre for a midday town-hall meeting for an introduction to the candidates and local politics.
The real-life civics lesson was prompted by an election preview in the Drops of Ink student newspaper by senior Jack Kosowski. After reading that, faculty adviser Michael Gluskin asked student editors what they thought of getting the candidates together.
They discussed how students are affected by some village decisions and how turnout typically is low, especially among young voters, he said, and then ran with the opportunity.
"My students felt this was a chance to bring local politics directly to the student body in hopes of generating more interest in the election," Gluskin said. The town hall also was streamed live online.
"No matter how many people came, the students got a lot out of it," Kosowski said afterward. "A lot of good questions."
Between introductory and closing comments, Weppler and Harger fielded questions on issues including development, the village's food and beverage tax, finances and even snowplowing.
"I'd like to see less-prepared stuff - they were asking good questions. With social media, kids are more involved than they ever have been," Harger said between sessions.
"They're all adults," Weppler said. "I don't think they're any less interested in taxes than their parents are."
For the second session, moderators Kosowski and Alejandro Garcia Escobar dropped the prepared questions in favor of those from the audience.
"I think a lot of kids in our grade have been a lot more interested in what goes on with our community and politics in general," senior Sarah Pavelske said.
Harger told the students local government was the most important thing they could get involved in.
"It's the people, like Terry and myself, you folks ... that's who is going to make a difference in your day-to-day living," he said.
Garcia Escobar said many students don't realize the importance of local government.
"This is a reminder that local politics do matter," he said.
Kosowski said he was happy with the outcome.
"I didn't really know anything about these candidates beforehand," he said. "We gained a lot of information about the town. I honestly don't know who I'll vote for."