Art, Youth, and Education: Values to Govern By

If you were in attendance at the city council meeting on August 6, you may have had trouble finding a seat. The chamber was standing room only, filled to the brim with citizens young and old. Yet the reason for this was not what one might expect–no contentious issue was brought before the council, no complaints were voiced–rather, the atmosphere was one of camaraderie and joy. On that night, the city of Greenwood Village displayed its true values, celebrating science, art, education, and youth.

There is something to be said about the fact that our city is willing to take the time from its busy schedule to honor certain individuals for their contributions and to teach others about their role in the community. Last Monday, the city council welcomed a troop of Boy Scouts, showing them all the best parts of City Hall and answering their seemingly endless questions. The council also awarded two individuals,  from opposite ends of the age spectrum, for their efforts to advance the arts in our city. Finally, Tasha Schoenstein, a brilliant young woman with whom I have had the pleasure of taking some classes, was honored for her scientific successes. Often, government is perceived as simply wanting to take our money and to give itself more power, but after last week’s meeting, I know this is not true of Greenwood Village. Watching the Mayor and the Chief of Police walk young scouts through City Hall, observing the pride in the eyes of the council members as they looked down upon the people being honored, it was hard not to be amazed at our community. At a time when so many are concerned with financial woes or other problems, our city came together so as not to forget some of our most basic values: education, art, and youth. That our city government is so aware of these things and so concerned with their continuing growth is more than I could ever hope for. As I prepare myself for my last city council meeting as an intern, I have a new found respect for the people and the government I have gotten to know over the past few weeks. I am happy to say that the decisions they made last meeting are ones I would have made in a heartbeat.