Students Try Their Hand at Congress

While many of her Louisville High School friends were just talking about the extraordinary events unfolding in Washington, D.C., last week, Michelle Curry, 16, got to experience them firsthand.

The Woodland Hills junior, a top student at the all-girls Catholic school, set off for the nation’s capital last Tuesday with several other local students, who joined 350 participants nationwide for the National Young Leaders Conference, a leadership development program that allows students to interact with lawmakers and journalists.

Michelle visited the Philippine embassy, met with a Los Angeles Times reporter and participated in a model Congress, in which she and her fellow “lawmakers” debated, amended and voted on a proposed tobacco reform bill.

Student participants are selected for the annual conference--a series of six-day sessions running from February to March--based on scholastic merit, community involvement and leadership potential.

Students from Cleveland Humanities Magnet High School and Holy Martyrs Armenian School in Reseda, Granada Hills High School, Valencia High School, Agoura Hills’ Oak Park High School and St. Francis High School in Burbank have been tapped to attend the conference this year.

“It was amazing to be there during this historic period,” said Michelle, whose scheduled meeting with U.S. Sens. Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein, (both D-Calif.) was canceled due to impeachment deliberations. “The model Congress taught me how a bill is passed, and we got to work on controversial issues, which was the best part for me.”

“I have 20 new best friends,” said Cleveland Humanities Magnet participant Carolyn Lertzman about the model Congress students with whom she’s already established e-mail relationships. “Even though we each had specific tasks to accomplish for the group, we all helped each other achieve our highest levels of individual accomplishment, too. The camaraderie was very special.”

PROGRAM NOTES

All That Jazz: Be-boppers at Toluca Lake Elementary School will get to tap their feet and snap their fingers Thursday, when the instrumental group L.A. Jazz Society demonstrates its brand of music for the school’s fourth- and fifth-graders. Part of an ongoing effort to introduce a variety of musical styles to the diverse student population, the band is expected to turn the morning concert into a fun music lesson.

EVENTS

What’s Shaking?: Caltech seismologist Kate Hutton will share her knowledge of earthquakes at a Glendale Community College lecture Tuesday. The talk, titled “What’s Shaking and How We Measure It,” will begin at noon in Room 25 of the Chemistry/Math Building. Admission is free and open to the public.

Musical: St. Genevieve High School presents the musical “West Side Story” on Friday and Saturday in the Panorama City school’s auditorium. Performances of the tragic love story, set to music by Leonard Bernstein, will begin at 7:30 p.m. both evenings, with a 1:30 p.m. matinee Saturday. Tickets are available at the door.

Parents Welcome: Need some parenting advice? Lindero Canyon Middle School in Agoura is hosting a parent-education program Thursday at 7 p.m., at which Howard Levitt, a Westlake Village marriage, family and child counselor will offer tips about motivating children and setting limits. Admission is free; the public is welcome.