TOH students take office

Hempstead Town Supervisor Kate Murray handed over the reins to a Division Avenue High School Junior for a day as part of Students in Government Day 2015, which took place on Thursday, May 21, 2015, while eleven other students from throughout the township were sworn in as department heads and called into duty during a mock severe weather scenario.

“Well over two years has passed since Hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc on communities throughout the Town of Hempstead, but the path of destruction is still evident with homes being repaired and beaches opening for the summer season,” stated Supervisor Murray. “As Hurricane season is about to commence yet again, this program is a great opportunity for 11th grade government students to experience first hand how government responds during times of crisis.”

By working through a mock hurricane scenario, the students learned how closely all town departments have to work together in order to best service the residents in an emergency. The scenario featured a hurricane headed straight for Long Island. The students interacted in their various roles to protect the safety and well being of town residents in the midst of the weather crisis. The real department heads helped guide them throughout the day.

Students from the following schools participated in the mock severe weather scenario: Oceanside H.S., East Meadow H.S., Valley Stream South H.S., Elmont Memorial H.S., Sewanhaka H.S., Mepham H.S., John F. Kennedy H.S., Calhoun H.S., MacArthur H.S., Division Avenue H.S., Kellenberg Memorial H.S. and the Hebrew Academy of the Five Towns and Rockaways.

Students will have reconvened for a final emergency management meeting where they provided a brief update of what transpired within their department. Afterward, they would have a “Q and A” session with Supervisor Murray and council members.
“These students are all learning about government this year, and Students in Government Day is a truly hands-on lesson for them,” concluded Supervisor Murray.