Hoyer encourages political give and take with student council

By JESSE YEATMAN, Staff writer

When the second in charge of the U.S. House of Representatives speaks, students tend to listen.

But several children were also quick to debate with the House majority leader, Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md., 5th), at the Mechanicsville Elementary School, where he spoke Monday about leadership and democracy.

‘‘We have different choices about what we can do," Hoyer said. ‘‘We want to hear other people's opinions. That's what a democracy is."

The Mechanicsville Elementary School student council last month was awarded the 2007-2008 Honor Student Council Excellence Award, and to help celebrate this achievement Hoyer visited the school.

‘‘What a wonderful way to end the school year," Principal Barbara Abell said of Hoyer's visit, whom she called ‘‘our neighbor."

Hoyer asked the students to plan out a school picnic through a democratic process. They needed to pick the location, which instantly raised a debate that brought in visiting state Del. John F. Wood Jr. (D-St. Mary's).

‘‘I recommend you go to Hoyer's house because he's on the water and you can go swimming," Wood said to the students.

His recommendation could not sway the majority of the students, who fell in line behind student Walker Tippett's suggestion - have the class picnic at Greenwell State Park.

Zachary Smith, a member of the student council, suggested Greenwell would cost too much for transportation and instead the students should simply walk outside and have the picnic at the school. ‘‘Zack is what we call a ‘blue dog'," Hoyer told the students, referring to his fiscally responsible thinking.

The students debated the choices and then voted overwhelmingly for Greenwell.

‘‘Even when it's 90 percent, we give the minority a chance to give their opinion. It's called the dissent," Hoyer said. ‘‘Republicans accuse me of not giving that to them sometimes."

The debate and vote the students participated in is exactly what happens at the highest levels of government, Hoyer said.

He said legislators debate and vote on issues, ‘‘Whether we're going to send people to Iraq. Whether we're going to spend money on building a bridge."

At that, Smith again brought up his argument of saving money by holding the picnic at the school. Looking the student squarely in the eyes, Hoyer said, ‘‘Sorry, you lost."

He then complimented the boy on the courage of his convictions. ‘‘He's still hanging in there," Hoyer said.

The exercise illustrated a point for Hoyer, who told the students to stick with their convictions, especially as decision-making leaders, but to always listen to others who might have more experience or particular knowledge of an issue.

‘‘Jesse Jackson used to say, ‘I am somebody,'" Hoyer told the students. He advised them not to forget the most important people in the building - the teachers, especially those in early childhood education who teach prekindergarten, kindergarten, first- and second-grades.

‘‘If we don't get these young people at a very early age excited about learning, then our country won't succeed," Hoyer said.

Led by the student council president, Hannah Farrell, the group was given an excellence award by the National Association of Elementary School Principals last month. The national award recognizes the commitment of student councils in promoting effective leadership and life skills through service to the school and community.

Following the council's motto, ‘‘Be cool and help our school," students organize and participate in activities such as ‘‘Operation Red Carpet," where students make presentations to troops returning from deployment to Patuxent River Naval Air Station, visiting veterans at the Charlotte Hall Veterans Home and working with the Lions Club to collect donated glasses over the last three years since the group was formed.

Student Ryan Waggener presented Hoyer with a fired clay lighthouse sculpture he made in art class.