VOL. XVII, NO. 8

Late last year the City of Des Plaines and the Optimist Club sponsored a program called Youth Appreciation Week. The program for the last 19 years has tried to establish student interest in government by having junior officials. Juniors were selected for the program from essays they had written. Positions given to the junior city officers were from clerk to mayor which were determined by the best essays.

The juniors chosen were Joan Adams, Robert Anderson, Steve Bahr, Neal Boesche, Patricia Conti, Joseph Frey, Linda Harrington, Richard Kraft, Leane Kuhlman, and Carole Lambdin. Others were Denise Liebert, William Nesbit, Stuart Nyberg, David Payne, Kevin Quinn, Sheryl Rohrbein, Deborah Rorer, Judith Shute, Annette Stapp, Lap Tsang, Janee Wood, and John Zajac.

After the swearing in by Judge Smiegel, they visited the police department, fire department, city garage, and city pumping station. Later they went to the Des Plaines Elk's Club for lunch with city officials.

The juniors then had a tour of TWA and Forest Hospital. One day was Junior Official Day. Students spent part of the day with the official whom they represented. The next day they left for Springfield, Illinois. The following day they visited Lincoln's Home, Lincoln's Tomb, New Salem, the Capitol, and the Old Court House.

As a finale during the following week, they attended a city council meeting to further participate in the government.