Students make their pitch to lower state's voting age

Sarah Agilar, Jalen Burkett, Justin Chappell, and Alexa Kessler, all students at West Hills Middle School, recently made an appearance at the West Bloomfield Charter Township meeting on June 13 to present their Primary Years Programme exhibition project. Assisted in their preparation by retired Circuit Court Judge Fred M. Mester, these "bright young students made a wonderful presentation discussing the benefits of lowering the voting age to 16," according to Mester. Mester, who serves as ombudsman for the U.S. District Court, expressed the highest regard for the school and teachers, Mrs. O'Grady and Mrs. Singh, for their effort to expose the students to and educate them about local government. Additionally, Mester expressed his appreciation for Erica Chappell who first introduced him to the program. Steve Kaplan, West Bloomfield Township trustee, praised the students: "They did a fabulous job. To be honest, I had not even thought about this topic until just now. But you made me think and that is important." Kaplan recommended that these students share their presentation with the state legislature. Published: Tue, Jul 19, 2016