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Tackling the big job in a miniature community
By LOGAN NEILL SPRING HILL -- A funny thing happened to 12-year-old Eric Rydecki recently. He got elected president of Powell Middle School's microsociety. It's funny because he didn't expect it at all. Everybody had told him that the race all but belonged to his eighth-grade opponent. But occasionally that's how things work out. The invincible have chinks in their armor. The sure bet doesn't always pan out. And sometimes even eighth-graders can underestimate the popularity of their underlings. To appreciate the irony of this, you must talk to Eric, a quiet, laid-back seventh-grader. The main reason he decided to run for the school's highest student office was, in his words, "it seemed like something fun to do." So it began back in October when Eric, one of two remaining finalists out of 10 seeking the office, squared off with eighth-grader Greg Bowe. While Eric didn't run much of a campaign (he made a few posters and hung them around school and made a quick speech on the morning announcements), he was confident that he'd win at least some votes from people he knew. "Kids who knew me knew what kind of person I am, that I would listen and try to do something to make school better," he says. And while he still doesn't know why, somehow, when the final tally came, Eric held the most votes. "It was a pretty strange feeling when I won because I really didn't think I could beat Greg. He's pretty popular around here." Nonetheless, Eric thinks he'll make a good microsociety president. Having participated in Powell's version of a miniature business community, he's convinced it's a good learning experience for kids. Last year, Eric ran the Slushee Capital, a frozen drink concession that operates during the school's twice-a-week microsociety periods, and earned a hefty paycheck each week. He says the experience taught him how to be successful in business. "The biggest complaints about microsociety seem to come from kids who really don't want to be in it," he says. "They don't want to work, so they get in trouble a lot. That's one of the things we're going to have to work on." Eric admits that the first weeks of his presidency have mainly been spent just getting used to the job. Besides presiding over the 23-representative organizing body, his position also requires him to attend school advisory council meetings. He's also involved in a committee that is spearheading the school's United Way fund drive. As for being president, Eric says he likes the job. "Kids come up to me all the time with suggestions and complaints," he says. "But a lot of the things they want me to fix are things I can't control. The best I can tell them is that I'll try."
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From today's Hernando Times |
