Student councils coming to Cape

A state convention will bring 1,200 middle- and high-school students to Cape Girardeau in March, but organizers still haven't found enough housing or money to stage the event.

When they found out nine months ago they would play host to the 2002 Missouri Association of Student Councils convention at Central High School March 14-16, Central's Student Senate immediately began thinking of ways to raise money. The group organized an elementary school track-and-field day, a basketball game between teachers from Central and Jackson, Mo., High School and several drawings.

Still, they're $11,000 short of their $15,000 goal with the convention looming three months away. On top of that, they are trying to find 300 families who will open their homes for the weekend. Four to eight student delegates from each school in Missouri attend the conference, and they don't stay in motels.

"We've been telling kids to ask anyone they know at church or at work who would be willing to put up three or four kids for the weekend," said Nathan Foley, a senior and co-president of the senate.

The host family is responsible for providing breakfast and transporting the students to and from the school each day.

Debbie Jackson and her husband, Mike, moved from Jefferson City, Mo., with their three children in September. When the convention comes to town, they will play host to four students from their youngest son David's former school, Lewis and Clark Middle School.

"At the very beginning of the year, I asked David to find out who to contact about being a host family," said Debbie Jackson. "We knew we wanted to have the kids from the old middle school. The president of their student council is his best friend and we know them all."

One or two advisers from each school accompany the students on the trip, but they stay in hotel rooms.

"This convention is a big deal," said Missouri Association of Student Councils executive director Terri Johnson. MASC pays about $45,000 for speakers, sound equipment and other expenses. Johnson said any extras are paid for by the host school.

Central High senior Jessica Layman, senate co-president, said last year's convention in Washington, Mo., had fireworks in the gymnasium, and every student was given a disposable camera to use over the course of the weekend.

This year they are trying to get nationally recognized speaker Kevin Wanzer, who is famous for his speeches on drug education.

A 'stand out'

"We don't want our conference to necessarily be better than last year's, just different," Layman said. "You always want yours to stand out."

The theme for the 2002 convention is "It's a Leadership Thing with a Southeast Twang."

Students will arrive at the high school to sign in at 4 p.m. March 14. From there they will go out to dinner and spend time with their host families.

March 15 is full of workshops, speakers and entertainment at the high school. That evening there is a catered dinner and dance at the Show Me Center and a makeshift state fair with games and a petting zoo at the Student Rec Center following the dance.

The morning of March 16 students return to the high school one last time for a closing session before leaving by noon.

Central has been host for the convention two other times in the convention's 56-year history, in 1992 and 1982.

hkronmueller@semissourian.com

335-6611 extension 128