by Rawlanda Hinds, staff reporter

Council Member Paul Vallone invited his ambassadors from all schools in district 19 to participate in one of the Council Members’ hearings and tours of City Hall on February 26.

Meeting at the the City Council offices right across the street the ambassadors were given a schedule and a brief on the hearing before hand treating them as any Council Member who would take the stands that day.

Just like any Council Member meeting the day started with a briefing on serving immigrants seniors through NORCs (Naturally Occurring Retirement Communities) where the students were allowed to see and even ask questions during the hearing.

“This trip was a great experience because I got to see what goes on during a hearing and how council members deal with their community issues,”  junior and student ambassador Erika Donis said.

Along with Council Member Vallone the tour of City Hall was one to mark down in history. The students were shown parts of City Hall that are usually not on the tour. The Governor’s Room and a very secret room behind it was opened for the students and during each part of the room Council Member Vallone was more than happy to give the students an insider’s point of view on the room and everything else.

“Seeing the inner workings of City Council and having Councilman Vallone walk us around and  give us a real in depth close look to how things operate was really a phenomenal experience,”  assistant principal Mr.Jurman said.
Overall, the trip was a way for district 19 students to see a side of politics that directly affects their district and city.