Standing in the middle of the River Forest police department detention cell area, the group of Roosevelt Middle School students wore collective looks probably a lot like suspected criminals do when they arrive in the same place for booking.
It just got real.
Over here was a temporary holding cell with grates like you see in the movies. Around the corner were permanent cells with thick blue doors, each with a cot and a stainless-steel toilet. On a counter was an oblong computer called a fingerprinting station, which relays fingerprints to the FBI to find out if a suspect has any other warrants.
Heavy stuff for middle schoolers, to be sure. But you know what?
On some level, it was awesome, too, for the members of Roosevelt’s Student Leadership Clubs.
The clubs, ranging from fifth to eighth grade, toured the River Forest village hall May 6 and got a firsthand look at the police and fire departments and participated in a mock village board meeting with none other than Village President Cathy Adduci and other leaders like Village Administrator Matt Walsh.
“The coolest thing I saw was probably the interview room or the booking room,” said Margaret, a Roosevelt eighth grader. “I feel like you see all these things on TV and in the movies and you’re like, ‘There’s no way that’s what it looks like.’ But it does.
“It was cool to see like where it all goes on, and when I hear about a story now, I can picture where it is and what it looks like.”
Megan Drake is the police department’s school resource officer, and she said the student questions were varied.
“They asked quite a bit,” Drake said. “They had a lot of interest in any of the ‘Wanted’ bulletins. The cameras are always a big hit for them, they are very interested in the fact that we can see a lot of the town.”
There was a bit of excitement, too. As River Forest Deputy Fire Chief Dave Bochenek showed that same group of sixth and eighth graders around his department’s area, suddenly there was a long tone and a voice that said a carbon monoxide detector had activated somewhere in the village. Moments later, a fire truck with a team of firefighters bolted out of the garage, sirens blaring.
Once again, it got real. Fast.
The factoids were just as interesting. One student asked how often the fire department gets called out. Bochenek said about 3,000 times per year, or roughly 8.2 calls per day.
The Student Leadership Clubs are new to Roosevelt this school year and are the brainchild of principal Tina Steketee, in her first year. Last fall, students from all grade levels were invited to join the clubs to identify ways to contribute to a positive environment for every student.
The students in turn did research and created proposals they pitched to Steketee over the winter. The improvements, like a new student-created weekly communication broadcast from the seventh and eighth graders, launched this spring.
“The Roosevelt student leaders made wonderful improvements to our school environment this year,” Steketee said. “I am thrilled that they were able to learn more about civic leadership in today’s visit to River Forest village hall.
A fascinating exercise was the mock board meeting, where Adduci selected six student “trustees” – thus creating a quorum – to debate key village issues, like the addition of a pedestrian crosswalk on the east side of the intersection of Lake Street and Park Avenue; purchase of a new fire truck (cost: $1.6 million); and a Washington Boulevard improvement project (cost: $1.7 million). Another student served as the village “clerk,” while another addressed the mock board during the public comment portion of the agenda.
“The hope is that you walk away and say, ‘I know what goes on with government in River Forest,’” Adduci told the combined group of about 60 students.
The takeaways for members of the Student Leadership Clubs are many, according to teacher Colleen Pariso, who facilitates the eighth-grade club.
“They’re learning about taking responsibility for the school community, and kind of thinking of ways they can improve the school community and working together to do that,” Pariso said, “along with looking for what can they leave as a legacy.”
Added Nicole Pellegrini, who facilitates the seventh-grade club: “Being here today, they were able to maybe think about how what they’re doing as middle schoolers can impact our society as they get older.”