A day in the life of a teen Mayor: what is it like to be a high school senior and the Mayor of a small town? JS ask Michael Sessions, one of America s youngest Mayors.

* OBJECTIVE

Students should understand

* what is involved in balancing the responsibilities of a full-time student and part-time public servant.

* BACKGROUND

Michael Sessions is not the only teen Mayor in the U.S. However, he is responsible for a municipality of 8,230 people--considerably larger than that of two other 18-year-old incumbent Mayors. (Saro Juhl is Mayor of Roland, Iowa, population 1,300; Christopher Seeley is Mayor of Linesville, Pennsylvania, population 1,155.)

* CRITICAL THINKING

CAUSE AND EFFECT: What has influenced Michael Sessions's interest in developing Hillsdale's economy? (His father lost his job at an automobile plant that shut down, and he was out of work for two years.)

CRITICAL THINKING: What challenges does Michael Sessions face on a typical weekday? Would you handle them the same way? Explain. (Challenges include: He must get to school on time, concentrate on schoolwork during school hours, focus on city business after school, and then do homework. Other answers are acceptable.)

* ACTIVITY

CLOSING THE DEAL: Have students take turns role-playing a teen Mayor, with the rest of the class in supporting roles. Here are some possible scenarios: a meeting with City Council members to ser parking regulations, a gathering of business leaders considering leaving the city or establishing a new factory there, deciding which services to cut in order to reduce a budget deficit, and so on. Then discuss: Can any skills needed to become an effective Mayor also be applied to achieving goals in school, or vice versa?

At first glance, Michael Sessions's day looks like that of any other busy teen The 18-year-old is up by 6:30 a.m., skips breakfast, and gets to Hillsdale High in-time for history class.

After second-period psychology class, Michael breaks for lunch. He has 40 minutes to eat the sandwich his father packed for him. Then come accounting and woodshop.

When the school day ends, Michael's routine takes an unusual twist. At 2:30 p.m., he heads to City Hall for his after-school job as the Mayor of Hillsdale, a small town in Michigan.

Campaigning Door-to-Door

Michael made big news last November, when he became the Mayor of this town of 8,230 people. "There was nobody running [against the incumbent]," he says. "I thought, Well, someone has to."

Michael's campaign strategy was simple. He went door-to-door introducing himself and used the money he had earned over the summer to make signs and business cards.

After a while, Michael's age did not stop townspeople from taking him seriously.

"I went out and started shaking people's hands," he tells JS. "I'd go up to a woman and say, 'I'm running for Mayor of the city of Hillsdale,' and she'd say, 'Um, how old are you? Don't you think that's a little young?

I would explain that it's time for a change, and I'm not that young. People started warming up to me."

Michael did not turn 18 until September, so he was too young to get on the ballot. As a result, he had to run as a write-in candidate. He ended up beating 51-year-old Mayor Doug Ingles by two votes, 670 to 668. Michael's victory attracted attention from news media around the world.

Down to Business

Michael's mayoral duties include attending daily meetings on everything from parking permits to the town's economic development. "Everyone has a different agenda," he says.

As Mayor, Michael is focusing his efforts on bringing economic growth to Hillsdale, which has been struggling to keep jobs in the area. "If I'm meeting with an industry, I'll try to retain them in the community," he says, "or I'll ask them what they're doing to bring jobs here."

A few years ago, Michael's father, Scott, lost his job. He was a supervisor at an automobile plant that shut down. Scott Sessions is now working as a medical technician, but he was out of work for two years. Michael remembers the hard times. "I can relate to the people here in the city," he says.

Most evenings, Michael drives to neighboring towns for more meetings. He normally eats dinner on the go and gets home after 9 o'clock. The rest of the night is spent on homework. He tries to be in bed by midnight.

Getting involved

Michael says that his mother and father have encouraged him in his role as Mayor. "My parents have been very supportive," he tells JS. "They let me do my thing. They haven't changed at all since I took office."

But the new job has forced Michael to make sacrifices. Since becoming Mayor, he has given up the track team and spends less time with his friends.

"I don't think they've thought about [my job] too much," be says of his pals. "It's more like, 'Mike's always enjoyed politics, so this is what he wants to do.'"

Michael's life will not be slowing down anytime soon. Elected to a four-year term, Michael also has college to consider. He may attend nearby Hillsdale College, or Albion College, which is about a 30-minute drive from his family's home.

Michael thinks that he would like to major in political science, "Government rules your life every i day," he says.

He does not yet have plans for a political future beyond his first terra as Mayor. But he does hope that more young people will get involved in government.

"Just get active," he advises. "Ask what you can do for your city government. Start locally, attend meetings, become aware of what's going on. That's the big thing, knowing what's going on around you."

WORDS to Know

agenda: a list or outline of things to be considered or done.

incumbent: the current holder of a public office.

write-in candidate: a candidate for public office whose name does not appear on the ballot anal so must be written in by voters.

Your Turn

THINK ABOUT IT

1. Describe a typical day in Michael Sessions's life. How do you think he handles all of his responsibilities?

2. If you were elected Mayor of your city or town, what changes would you make? Why?

STANDARDS

SOCIAL STUDIES, GRADES 5-8

* Power, authority, and governance: How a teenage public servant balances his responsibilities as Mayor and student.

* Individual development and identity: How a teenager's interest in community affairs led him to run for public office.

RESOURCES

PRINT

* Klee, Sheila, Volunteering for a Political Campaign (Scholastic Library Publishing, 2000). Grades 5-12.

* Shleifer, Jay, Citizenship (Rosen Publishing Group, 1990). Grades 6-12.

WEB SITES

* City of Hillsdale official site ci.hillsdale.mi.us/sessions.htm

* City Mayors Running the World's Cities citymayors.com

* U.S. Conference of Mayors usmayors.org