When you’ve got time to kill, it helps to be in a place with a lot of colorful history to learn about. These Bear Creek High School Senior Field Studies students were at Denver’s City and County Building waiting under the watchful gazes of mayors past.
Team One worked hard to get this appointment with the current mayor, Michael Hancock, as part of the urban portion of their Senior Field Studies program.
“It shows them all the different systems that make a city the way that it is,” explained Senior Field Studies Co-Director Steve Porentas.
While they waited, they talked a bit about the Senior Field Studies experiences they’ve had so far, and why they think those experiences have helped keep their learning fresh.
“I just love how it’s not in the classroom every day. It just drives me crazy just sitting in the same spot every day just listening to someone talk. But in senior field studies it’s new every day,” said student Sophie Augustine.
Mayor Hancock rushed past to deal with an unexpected bit of city business but promised he wouldn’t
be long. At last, the time came to be ushered in, where the trappings of the office are everywhere. It was all a bit intimidating, but Mayor Hancock soon put them at ease, asking the questions at first, wanting to know more about the Senior Field Studies program that brought them there. Then, the students got their chance, asking about the changes that have happened since Mayor Hancock first took on the city’s top job seven years ago. They covered a lot of ground, from growth challenges to school safety, and then, all too quickly, their meeting with Mayor Hancock was done.
“He treated us like adults which is just the first time I’ve been treated like an adult by like a professional,” said student Chase
Jurgatis. “I was treated like an equal and that was like the best feeling I’ve ever had.”
“We love to sit and talk with them and hopefully enlighten them on what I do every day as the mayor and also learn a little bit about what they’re thinking,” said Hancock. “These young people are bright, they’re intuitive, and they’re
in-tune. I think that says a lot about our future. I like what I saw today.”
Getting to share their thoughts with Mayor Hancock was the best part for the students.
“A lot of times, specifically in politics, adults assume that we don’t know what we are talking about and our opinions don’t matter. But we are all getting, a few of us are, old enough to vote. We’re going to register to vote in class,” said student Chloe Lopez-Jauffret.
“I think that I measure the success if they leave Senior Field Studies more willing to engage in new experiences. If they leave [the program] just more turned-on for life then I know I did my job,” added Porentas.
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