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YOUTH COUNCIL AND WELCOME TO OUR FIRST OFFICIAL MEETING OF 20 26, 27.SO WE ARE SUPER EXCITED FOR THIS YEAR.
I MEAN, YOU'VE HEARD US SAY THAT MULTIPLE TIMES, BUT IT'S, IT'S ALWAYS EXCITING TO ACTUALLY GET INTO THE WORK.
I MEAN, THE, THE MEET AND GREET AND THE INDUCTION CEREMONIES ARE FUN, BUT HERE'S WHERE, UM, WE, WE REALLY START AND THAT'S, UM, SUPER COOL.
BUT I KNOW, OR I THINK I'VE HEARD RUMBLINGS THAT WE HAVE A LOT OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE OR A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT ARE THINKING ABOUT RUNNING FOR OUR EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.
AND SINCE WE'RE DOING SPEECHES, I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE, WE HAVE ENOUGH TIME.
I KNOW, UM, EVERYBODY WAS GETTING PAPERWORK AND FOOD AND SO WE'RE GOOD NOW.
I DON'T WANNA, YOU KNOW, SPEND A LOT OF NICETIES AT THE BEGINNING.
SO WHAT WE WILL DO IS WE, WERE GONNA GO POSITION BY POSITION, OKAY? AND SO WE'RE GONNA SAY THE FIRST POSITION WILL BE PRESIDENT.
AND SO ANYBODY WHO WANTS TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT WILL RAISE THEIR HAND.
UM, ALL OF THOSE MEMBERS WILL PROBABLY HAVE COME STAND UP HERE JUST SO THAT WE, YOU KNOW, CAN REMEMBER WHO ALL'S RUNNING.
UM, AND THEN ONE BY ONE WE'LL DO SPEECHES AND, YOU KNOW, I'M GONNA START A TIMER.
I'M NOT GONNA HOLD YOU TO THE SECOND, YOU KNOW, TO TWO MINUTES OR KIND OF THING.
UM, BUT IF YOU'RE STARTING TO GO REALLY LONG, I WILL, UM, KINDLY ASK YOU TO WRAP UP.
UM, BUT WE'LL JUST GO ONE BY ONE, UM, FOR OUR, OUR PRESIDENT POSITION, AND THEN WE'LL DO VICE PRESIDENT, SECRETARY, AND HISTORIAN.
AND AS EACH PERSON GOES, WE ARE GOING TO WRITE DOWN THE NAMES OF WHO ALL IS RUNNING, BECAUSE ONCE EVERYBODY IS GIVEN THEIR SPEECHES, WE'RE GONNA HAND OUT A BALLOT SOMEWHERE.
WE'RE GONNA HAND WAIT OVER HERE, WE'RE GONNA HAND OUT A BALLOT AND IT HAS A LINE FOR YOU TO WRITE THE NAME OF WHO YOU WOULD LIKE TO NOMINATE FOR PRESIDENT, WHO YOU WOULD LIKE TO NOMINATE FOR VICE PRESIDENT, SECRETARY, HISTORIAN.
AND SO THAT'S WHY WE'RE GONNA HAVE ALL OF THE NAMES UP HERE.
SO YOU REMEMBER, UM, EVERYBODY WHO HAS RUN.
AND SO WE'RE GONNA GIVE EVERYBODY TIME TO FILL THAT OUT.
AND THEN WE WILL START TALLYING ALL OF THOSE POSITIONS.
WE'RE ALSO GOING TO, UM, MAKE SELECTIONS FOR OUR COMMITTEES.
EACH OF YOU, UM, WHEN YOU CAME IN, YOU PICKED UP A SHEET OF PAPER, UM, THAT HAS WHAT THOSE COMMITTEES DO.
SO WE HAVE OUR SOCIALS AND PROMOTIONS, OUR TEAM EVENTS, OUR COMMUNITY SERVICE.
AND SO EACH OF THESE SHEETS OF PAPER KIND OF GIVES YOU SOME MORE INFORMATION.
AND SO AT THE SAME TIME, WE GIVE YOU THE BALLOT FOR OUR EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.
WE'RE GONNA GIVE YOU A BALLOT FOR YOU TO MAKE SELECTIONS ON WHAT COMMITTEES FIRST, SECOND, AND THIRD PLACE, WHAT YOU WOULD LOVE TO DO FIRST PLACE, AND THEN YOU KNOW, WHAT YOU'LL DO.
SECOND PLACE IF THERE'S LEFTOVERS, WHAT WE MIGHT HAVE TO PUT YOU IN FOR THIRD PLACE.
WE TRY TO GET EVERYBODY THERE FIRST PLACE, BUT IF EVERY SINGLE PERSON SAID, HEY, I WANNA DO COMMUNITY SERVICE, WE'VE GOTTA TRY TO EVEN, EVEN THEM OUT.
AND SO SINCE WE HAVE 36 MEMBERS, WE'RE GONNA TRY TO DO ABOUT 12, UH, MEMBERS PER COMMITTEE.
AND SO JUST, YOU KNOW, THAT'S WHY WE ASK YOU TO PUT FIRST, SECOND, AND THIRD.
'CAUSE SOMETIMES YOU MAY HAVE TO GET SOMETHING THAT'S NOT YOUR FIRST CHOICE.
SO WE DO HAVE A COUNCIL MEET AND GREET AT THE VERY END.
WE'RE GONNA TRY TO GET THROUGH ALL OF OUR BUSINESS, UM, AND THEN HAVE OUR COUNCIL MEET AND GREET AND EACH OF OUR MEETINGS.
SO IF YOU'RE A RETURNING MEMBER, YOU REMEMBER THIS, BUT FOR OUR NEW MEMBERS, WE HAVE A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER.
WE HAVE JUST ENOUGH MEETINGS TO HAVE ONE CITY COUNCIL MEMBER COME TO EACH MEETING SO THAT THEY CAN KIND OF GET TO SPEAK TO YOU GUYS ONE-ON-ONE.
AND YOU GUYS COULD ASK THEM A QUESTION.
UM, YOU GUYS, THEY TO KIND OF TELL YOU THINGS THAT THEY'RE DOING WITHIN THEIR DISTRICT OR THINGS THAT THEY'RE PROUD OF, UM, THAT THEY'VE DONE THROUGHOUT THEIR SERVICE TO THE CITY.
UH, SO TODAY OUR GUEST, UM, WHO WILL BE COMING IN CLOSER TO THE END OF THE MEETING, UH, IS OUR DEPUTY MAYOR PRO TE CARISSA DUNTON.
SO SHE REPRESENTS DISTRICT SIX.
AND SO I KNOW WE HAVE FOUR OF HER, UM, YOUTH COUNCIL MEMBERS HERE.
UM, BUT SHE'S GONNA COME SPEAK WITH US HERE IN A LITTLE BIT WITHOUT FURTHER ADO.
AND SO PART OF THE OTHER REASON I'M GONNA HAVE Y'ALL COME UP HERE IS BECAUSE WE DO RECORD OUR MEETINGS, JUST LIKE EVERY CITY COUNCIL MEETING OR ANY BOARDS OR COMMISSIONS, EVERYTHING, UM, GETS RECORDED.
OUR CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS ARE ACTUALLY STREAMED LIVE, UM, ON TELEVISION AND ON THE WEBSITE.
BUT OUR OTHER COMMITTEES AND OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS, LIKE THIS IS ONE OF OUR BOARDS AND COMMISSIONS THAT EACH COUNCIL MEMBER APPOINTS PEOPLE TO SERVE ON.
WE RECORD EACH OF OUR MEETINGS AND THEN WE PUT THEM UP ON THE WEBSITE FOR OUR FIVE PURPOSES.
SOMEBODY COULD COME BACK AND LISTEN, UM, AND THEN SEE WHAT YOU GUYS ARE DOING.
SO, UM, THAT'S WHY IT'S KIND OF IMPORTANT THAT WHEN YOU GUYS ARE GIVING YOUR SPEECHES, YOU NOT ONLY WANT YOUR FELLOW MEMBERS TO HEAR YOU GIVE YOUR SPEECHES, BUT YOU KNOW, WE ALSO WANT THE RECORD TO, TO HEAR IT AS WELL.
SO, UM, WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, ANYBODY WHO WOULD LIKE TO RUN FOR THE POSITION OF PRESIDENT, PLEASE COME JOIN ME UP HERE ON THIS SIDE.
[00:05:03]
AND YES, THIS IS ANYBODY RUNNING FOR ANY POSITION LIKE THAT IS, THAT'S AWESOME.I MEAN, THAT'S, THAT'S A FIRST STEP IN LEADERSHIP TO STAND UP IN FRONT OF, UM, IN FRONT OF OUR PEERS AND GIVE SPEECHES.
SO AS I MENTIONED, SO WHAT WE'LL PROBABLY PUT ON THE LINE, ISABELLA, WE'RE GONNA START YOU FIRST, BUT I'M GONNA, WE'RE GONNA PULL UP MY TIMER.
LIKE I SAID, I'M NOT GONNA HOLD YOU TO THE SECOND, BUT JUST KIND OF WANNA KEEP US GENERALLY ON TRACK WITH TIME SINCE WE ARE GONNA HAVE A LOT.
SO IF YOU, DO YOU WANNA COME KIND TOWARDS MIDDLE? OKAY.
THAT WAY THE TIME MYSELF, I THINK IT'S LESS THAN TWO MINUTES, SO SHOULD FINE.
A YOU CAN START WHENEVER YOU'RE READY.
MY NAME IS MARIA IS BELLA KUNA AND I AM HONORED TO BE RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT.
THERE IS ONE QUOTE THAT HAS ALWAYS STAYED WITH ME.
IN ORDER TO LEAD, YOU MUST FIRST SERVE OTHERS.
AT FIRST, THAT IDEA ON MY TEAM, PRETTY CONTRADICTORY, RIGHT? WE OFTEN THINK LEADERSHIP IS ABOUT BEING AT THE FRONT, MAKING IMPORTANT DECISIONS OR HAVING THE LOUDEST VOICE IN THE ROOM.
HOWEVER, I BELIEVE THAT TRUE LEADERSHIP COMES FROM EMPOWERING AND UPLIFTING OTHERS' VOICES FIRST, THAT IS THE KIND OF LEADER I STRIVE TO BE.
ONE OF THE BIGGEST REASONS I'M RUNNING IS BECAUSE I WANT TO CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT WHERE EVERY VOICE MATTERS.
NOT JUST THE LOUDEST ONES, BUT ALSO THOSE WHO ARE HESITANT TO SPEAK.
IT'S ABOUT MAKING SURE EVERY MEMBER FEELS INCLUDED, RESPECTED, AND EMPOWERED TO TURN THEIR IDEAS INTO REALITY.
WHEN ONE PERSON'S DREAM SUCCEEDS, OUR ENTIRE COMMUNITY BECOMES STRONGER.
I KNOW THAT ALL OF YOU HAVE AMAZING IDEAS THAT CAN GREATLY IMPROVE OUR COMMUNITY, AND I WOULD BE HONORED TO HELP Y'ALL ACHIEVE THEM.
I ALSO KNOW THAT IT WOULD BE VERY DIFFICULT TO FILM THE FORMER PRESIDENT'S SHOES 'CAUSE SHE DID A VERY WONDERFUL JOB,
UM, BUT I WOULD BE HONORED TO EARN YOUR TRUST AND SERVE AS YOUR PRESIDENT, THIS GYC SEASONS.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR TIME AND CONSIDERATION.
UM, FOR THOSE WHO DON'T KNOW ME, I'M SOPHIA SAL.
I'M A JUNIOR AND I GO TO NORTH GARLAND HIGH SCHOOL.
UM, I'M RUNNING FOR THE GARLAND YOUTH COUNCIL PRESIDENT TODAY, AND I JUST WANNA LET YOU GUYS KNOW THAT AS A JUNIOR, THIS IS MY THIRD YEAR ON THE COUNCIL.
AND OVER THE PAST TWO YEARS, I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE AS THE COMMUNITY SERVICE COMMITTEE HEAD MY FRESHMAN YEAR AND THE TEEN EVENTS COMMITTEE HEAD MY SOPHOMORE YEAR.
UM, BEING ON THIS COUNCIL HAS TAUGHT ME SO MUCH ABOUT LEADERSHIP, TEAMWORK, AND WHAT IT REALLY MEANS TO GIVE BACK TO OUR COMMUNITY.
I'VE ALSO HAD THE CHANCE TO TAKE ON LEADERSHIP ROLES IN OTHER CLUBS AT SCHOOL, AT CHURCH, AND THEY HELP ME BECOME SOMEONE WHO LISTENS, COMMUNICATES, TAKES INITIATIVE, AND MAKES SURE THAT EVERYONE'S VOICE IS HEARD.
UM, MOST IMPORTANTLY, I GENUINELY LOVE THE CITY OF GARLAND AND I'M PROUD TO BE A PART OF A GROUP THAT GIVES YOUNG PEOPLE A VOICE IN OUR CITY.
I'M SO EXCITED FOR WHAT WE CAN ACCOMPLISH TOGETHER NEXT YEAR, AND I WOULD BE HONORED TO SERVE AS YOUR PRESIDENT.
ONE SAID THE BEST WAY TO FIND YOURSELF IS TO LOSE YOURSELF IN THE SERVICE OF OTHERS.
MY NAME'S ANDREW FEL AND I WANNA BE YOUR NEXT GYCU PRESIDENT.
WHEN I LOOK AROUND THE ROOM, I DON'T JUST SEE A COUNCIL, I SEE A GROUP OF MEMBERS WHO ARE TRULY DEDICATED TO THE FUTURE OF GARLAND.
AND THAT'S EXACTLY WHY I WANNA RUN TRUE LEADERSHIP IS ABOUT LISTENING CLOSELY, BRINGING PEOPLE TOGETHER, AND UNDERSTANDING DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES.
THAT'S THE SAME AMAZING ENERGY I WANNA KEEP HERE AT GYC.
ANOTHER IDEA THAT I HAD IS MAKING SURE EVERYONE'S COMFORTABLE SHARING THEIR IDEAS BECAUSE OUR BEST WORK COMES FROM AS A TEAM, LIKE THE LAST MEETING WE HAD, RIGHT? WE EACH SPLIT INTO GROUPS AND DID OUR, UH, BOARD THINGS.
I HEARD CARNIVAL MULTICULTURAL NIGHT, UM, ENVIRONMENTAL AWARENESS PROJECT, THAT'S ALL.
WHEN WE WORK AS A TEAM, I WANNA EXPAND OUR CONNECTION WITH THE CITY COUNCIL, WORK ON OUR SOCIAL PROJECTS LIKE FIELD DAY AND THEN JUST GOING ON WITH THAT.
I'M ALWAYS GONNA PUT IN MY 110%.
I'M ALWAYS GONNA PUT MY HEART INTO IT AND I'M ALWAYS A FRIEND YOU CAN TRUST.
SO THANK YOU TO ALL OUR MEMBERS AND Y'ALL DO NOT HAVE TO VOTE ON YOUR MS. RONDA'S PASSING OUT SHEETS RIGHT NOW.
DON'T NECESSARILY, ACTUALLY I'M GONNA ASK THAT NOBODY START VOTING UNTIL THE END.
SHE'S JUST PASSING THESE OUT SO THAT THEY'RE READY.
I'M GONNA ASK THAT NOBODY STARTS VOTING, UH, AND WRITING DOWN NAMES FOR ANY OF THE POSITIONS UNTIL WE ARE ALL DONE.
SO WITH THAT, OUR PRESIDENT, ARE Y'ALL LISTENING? OUR PRESIDENT CANDIDATES CAN GO AHEAD AND SIT DOWN.
I'M GONNA GO AHEAD AND WRITE ALL Y'ALL'S NAMES UP HERE SO THAT EVERYBODY REMEMBERS, BUT AGAIN, WE'RE NOT VOTING JUST YET.
AND OUR VICE PRESIDENT MEMBERS, IF Y'ALL WANT TO START MAKING YOUR WAY UP, ANYBODY WHO WOULD LIKE TO RUN BUSINESS VICE PRESIDENT,
[00:10:41]
REMEMBER SHE SAID NOT RIGHT ON THESE BAGS.WAIT TILL EVERYBODY HAS GIVEN THEIR SPEECHES.
THAT'S WHEN WE'LL TELL YOU THAT.
YOU CAN GO AHEAD AND START VOTING.
OKAY, I'M GETTING MY STOPWATCH BACK UP.
OKAY, SO I'M GONNA GO DOWN THE LINE FIRST.
MY NAME IS MATTHEW MARTIN AND I'M GOING TO RUN TO BE YOUR NEXT GYC VICE PRESIDENT.
I REMEMBER WHEN THE ONLY REAL WORRY ON MY MIND WAS MAKING SURE THAT THE LITTLE PATHS I CROSSED DIDN'T HOLD SUSPECTING BUGS WITHIN TREES WIELDING GORGEOUS SEASONAL FLOWERS, CROSSING THE WINDING DIRT ROADS BY WINTER PARK, WINTERS PARK.
I SAW SNIPPETS OF MEMORIES THAT WERE PURELY EPHEMERAL.
UH, I SAW AND I MADE POSSIBLE, ALL MADE POSSIBLE BY THE WONDERS OF RECREATIONAL ARCHITECTURE.
THOSE LITTLE MOMENTS BUILD THE UPBRINGING OF EACH OF US SITTING IN THIS ROOM.
GARLAND IS A BEAUTIFUL CITY AND THE WAY I CAN FORCE YOU TO VISUALIZE ITS SPACES, PROVES IT.
BUT EVERY PLACE WE CROSS DESERVES ITS OWN MAINTENANCE, ITS OWN UPBRINGING, AND ITS OWN ARTISTIC ABILITY TO CAPTURE OUR VERY HEARTS.
OUR FUTURE RELIES ON AMBITION, ADVOCACY, AND HUNGER FOR REAL CHANGE.
AS YOUR VICE PRESIDENT, I HOLD A DEFINITIVE, UH, DEFINITIVE PLAN TO ENHANCE OUR IMPACT WHERE WE WILL DEEPLY INTEGRATE OUR COUNCIL EVEN FURTHER INTO MAJOR CITY COUNCIL TRADITIONS FROM THE ICONIC LABOR DAY PARADE AND CULTURAL FESTIVALS, AS WELL AS MONTHLY GATHERINGS AT DOWNTOWN GARLAND SQUARE.
USING THESE SPACES TO NETWORK CLOSELY WITH LOCAL YOUTHS AND SATURATE OUR VOLUNTEER SERVICE INITIATIVES, WE WILL REVITALIZE OUR HIDDEN GEMS AND SHIFT FOCUS TO THE INGENUITY OF INCOMING GARLAND LEADERS.
AND AS WELL PUT OUR LEGACY AND PERMANENT MARKER IN BLACK AND WHITE.
AND AS CLEAR AS CRYSTAL, I WANT TO MAKE SURE OUR LEADERSHIP SWELLS AND OUR IMPACT RINGS ACROSS THE AIR.
BECAUSE IF YOU ARE PREPARED TO MAKE THIS SERIES COUNCIL ONE WITH THE MOST NAMES AND ARTICLES, DOCUMENTS, NEWSLETTERS, PAINTING AN UNDENIABLE CANVAS OF CHANGE, ONE CHOICE IS CERTAIN.
MY NAME IS MATTHEW MARTIN AND THE WORLD IS WAITING RIGHT OUTSIDE OUR DOOR.
AND THE LEADERSHIP WE CHOOSE TODAY IS THE GOLDEN BRICK ROAD TO THE WORLD.
WE WILL REACH BEYOND TOMORROW.
IF YOU DON'T KNOW ME, I'M JULIAN DE JESUS.
I GO TO SAXE HIGH SCHOOL AND I'M A JUNIOR AND I'M RUNNING FOR VICE PRESIDENT OF GUARDIAN COUNCIL.
I'VE BEEN A PART OF GYC SINCE MY FRESHMAN YEAR, NOW THAT I'M A JUNIOR.
SO THREE YEARS I'VE HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO GROW WITH THIS COUNCIL AND REALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT IT MEANS TO BE INVOLVED WITH OUR COMMUNITY.
BEING ON JYC FOR THIS LONG ISN'T SOMETHING EVERYONE CAN SAY AND I'M PROUD OF THE TIME AND EFFORT I'VE PUT INTO IT.
DURING MY GIC YEARS, I'VE BEEN HEAD OF THE TEAM COMMUNITY AND BEEN A MEMBER OF TOP SOCCER, WHICH IS BASICALLY LIKE A LITTLE KIDS SOCCER PROGRAM THAT WE HAVE HERE IN GARLAND WHERE LIKE LITTLE KIDS THAT HAVE LIKE DISABILITIES, LIKE LEARN HOW TO PLAY SOCCER.
AND I WAS ACTUALLY THE ONLY PERSON OUTTA GYC 'CAUSE IT WAS LIKE A, SOMETHING PROVIDED FOR THE WHOLE BAR.
YOUTH COUNCIL WAS THE ONLY PERSON WHO TOOK THE TIME OUT OF HER EVERY SATURDAY AND WENT OVER THERE AND TAUGHT THOSE LITTLE KIDS SOCCER.
SO, YOU KNOW, THAT'S SOMETHING VERY, I'M VERY CONFIDENT THAT, AND I STILL DO IT TILL THIS DAY.
YOU GUYS ACTUALLY SHOULD GO CHECK THAT OUT SO YOU CAN GET YOUR COMMUNITY SERVICE HOURS OUTSIDE OF GYC.
I'M ALSO A SERGEANT ON MY DRILL TEAM, THE VICE PRESIDENT OF MY CLASS.
UH, THESE POSITIONS HAVE TAUGHT ME HOW TO LEAD, COMMUNICATE, STAY ORGANIZED, AND MOST IMPORTANTLY LISTEN TO THE PEOPLE I REPRESENT.
I'M, I'M NOT RUNNING JUST TO HAVE ANOTHER TITLE.
I WANTED TO MAKE AN ACTUAL DIFFERENCE, BRING NEW IDEAS AND MAKE SURE EVERYONE'S VOICE IS HEARD.
I ALREADY KNOW WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A LEADER AND I'M READY TO BRING THAT EXPERIENCE TO GIC.
I'D REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR VOTE FOR VICE PRESIDENT.
WHAT'S UP EVERYBODY? MY NAME IS KEN COLE MCCLESKEY.
MOST OF Y'ALL KNOW ME AS COLE.
I AM A JUNIOR AT SEXY HIGH SCHOOL AND I'M RUNNING FOR THIS YEAR'S GYC VICE PRESIDENT.
NOW, I'D JUST LIKE TO START OFF THIS OFF BY SAYING THIS IS MY THIRD YEAR RUNNING.
I'VE HAD A LOT OF TIME TO GROW AS MY FELLOW FRESHMAN FROM FRESHMEN.
UH, Y'ALL HAVE SEEN ME GROW FROM A
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LOUD, OBNOXIOUS GOOFBALL TO THE PERSON I AM TODAY.I'D JUST LIKE TO SAY THAT I'M READY TO STEP INTO THE ROLE, INTO THE LIKE OF ASSISTING OUR PRESIDENT INTO LEADING THIS WONDERFUL COUNCIL INTO DOING MANY GREAT THINGS.
OKAY, SECOND OF ALL, ACTUALLY NO, THAT'S ABOUT IT.
MY NAME'S TAYLOR LEE AND I'M RUNNING FOR ICS VICE PRESIDENT.
I TOOK THIS CHANCE BECAUSE I'VE ALWAYS BEEN INTERESTED IN WHAT OUR COMMUNITY HAS TO OFFER AND I WANTED TO BE ABLE TO BE A PART OF IT TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
WHAT I HAVE TO OFFER FOR THIS YOUTH COUNCIL IS THAT I'M A GOOD COMMUNICATOR, LISTENER, AND MISSIONER EVER SINCE FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL AND TO NOW I'VE STRENGTHENED MY COLLABORATIVE SKILLS BECAUSE OF ALL THE INFORMATIONS AND EXPECTATIONS PLACED UPON ME.
I'VE CONSTANTLY WORKED WITH EVERYBODY WITH MY CLASS, LIKE MY CLASSMATES, WHERE WE HAVE TO LISTEN TO EACH OTHER'S IDEAS AND COMBINE OUR VIEWS TOGETHER.
I'VE ALSO BEEN EMPOWERED OF THE PAGEANT FOR SEVERAL YEARS NOW.
SO WHERE I'VE LEARNED TO PROTECT MYSELF, BE CONFIDENT IN FRONT OF OTHERS, AND TAKE INITIATIVE TO MEET AND GREET PEOPLE.
THIS IS ALL 'CAUSE OF THE PRACTICE OF BEING ON STAGE AND DOING INTERVIEWS FOR OTHER ORGANIZATIONS AND INTERVIEWS FOR MY COMPETITION.
I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO ADD THAT I'VE MET SO MANY WONDERFUL PEOPLE FROM THE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS, UH, BOARD OF BOARD OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES, SUPERINTENDENT, AND THE MAYORS.
BECAUSE OF THESE CONNECTIONS IF NEEDED, I CAN ALWAYS GO AND COMMUNICATE WITH THEM AS YOUR VICE PRESIDENT.
I'LL PERFORM THE BEST OF MY ABILITIES TO WORK WITH EVERYBODY AND MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY HAS A VOICE SO WE CAN MAKE A LASTING IMPACT ON GARLAND.
ALL RIGHT, SO THAT IS ALL OF OUR VICE PRESIDENT CANDIDATES, SO I'M GOING TO WRITE EVERYBODY'S NAME.
REMEMBER, WE'RE NOT VOTING YET.
HOLD ALL OF YOUR VOTES TILL THE END.
BUT AS THEY'RE SITTING DOWN, ANYBODY FOR SECRETARY WHO WOULD LIKE TO RUN FOR THE POSITION OF SECRETARY? I THINK IT MIGHT JUST BE ME.
OKAY, SO WE'RE GONNA START WITH AURORA AND START WHENEVER YOU'RE READY.
I'M A JUNIOR AT SAXE HIGH SCHOOL AND THIS IS MY SECOND YEAR IN GARLAND EAST COUNCIL.
UM, LAST YEAR WAS MY FIRST YEAR AND I REALLY FELT LIKE I WAS JUST GETTING INTO THE GROUP OF THINGS.
I GOT TO SEE SO MANY, I GOT TO LEARN SO MANY NEW THINGS ON HOW CITY COUNCIL ACTUALLY WORKS AND HOW THE CITIZEN ITSELF HAS AN IMPACT ON WHAT GOES ON IN OUR CITY.
I'M RUNNING FOR SECRETARY BECAUSE I'M VERY ORGANIZED AND I BELIEVE IN CLEAR COMMUNICATION.
I UNDERSTAND THAT LIFE HAPPENS AND THAT YOU CAN MISS MEETINGS AND TO SOLVE THIS ISSUE OF MISSING INFORMATION AND STILL GETTING TO LIKE, UNDERSTAND AND KNOW WHAT GOES ON AT GYC MEETINGS, EVEN IF YOU'RE NOT HERE.
I THINK THAT WE SHOULD MAKE LIKE A GOOGLE FOLDER OR SOMETHING WHERE WE JUST KEEP ALL THE INFORMATION IN ONE PLACE THAT YOU CAN ALWAYS CATCH UP ON.
THIS ALSO ADDS TO WHAT SOME OF THE OTHER CANDIDATES EARLIER WERE SAYING ABOUT IMPROVED COLLABORATION IN A GOOGLE DOC.
IT MAKES IT SO EASY TO BE ABLE TO GO IN AND ADD YOUR IDEAS AND I THINK THIS IS A MONUMENTAL WAY THAT WE CAN BETTER OUR COLLABORATION AND INCREASE THE AMOUNT OF IDEAS THAT WE HAVE.
I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING WHAT WE CAN DO THIS YEAR AND HOW WE CAN IMPACT OUR COMMUN COMMUNITY.
AND I LOOK FORWARD TO GETTING TO KNOW EVERYBODY BETTER.
I WANNA GO TO COLLABORATIVE CULTURE AND HAVE FUN WHILE BETTERING THE COMMUNITY WE LIVE IN.
'CAUSE YOU KNOW, WE ALL LOVE THE CITY OF GARLAND.
AS, AS YOU GUYS, AS SOME OF YOU GUYS MIGHT KNOW, MY NAME'S
I'M A SOPHOMORE FROM GROWING HIGH SCHOOL AND HONESTLY I KNOW ALTHOUGH THIS IS A COMPETITION, I JUST WANNA SAY I'M CONFIDENT THAT IF WHOEVER YOU GUYS CHOOSE FROM, WHOEVER'S RUNNING, THEY WILL BE A GOOD OFFICER.
I KNOW THESE TWO, THESE TWO PEOPLE RIGHT HERE ARE BOTH VERY QUALIFIED SECRETARIES AND WE SHOULD BE CONFIDENT IN THE PEOPLE THAT WE PICK.
THEREFORE, LIKE I AGREE WITH A LOT OF HER IDEAS ABOUT HAVING LIKE ONLINE COMMUNICATION AND PEOPLE BE ABLE TO COMMUNICATE BETTER.
SO LIKE THE, WHAT I WAS THINKING FOR THAT WAS WE COULD TAKE, OUR SECRETARIES COULD TAKE NOTES AND THEN WE COULD UPLOAD IT INTO A LIKE GOOGLE DRIVE SO PEOPLE WILL KNOW, LIKE NOT JUST WHAT HAPPENED IN THE MEETING, BUT THEY'LL HAVE
[00:20:01]
AN IDEA OF SOME MORE OF LIKE THE COMMENTARY AND OTHER STUFF LIKE THAT.AND I THINK I WOULD BE A GOOD FIT FOR THIS PRESENTATION FOR THIS ROLE BECAUSE I AM A PART OF SPEECH AND DEBATE WHERE LIKE I, I HAVE TO OPERATE UNDER A LOT OF PRESSURE.
I HAVE TO TAKE NOTES UNDER A, LIKE, UNDER A TIME CONSTRAINT.
AND I'M ALSO THE CLASS PRESIDENT OF OUR CLASS.
SO I THINK I, THESE POSITIONS GIVE ME LIKE THE PRIOR EXPERIENCE TO UNDERSTAND AND UTILIZE MY CAPABILITIES TO BEST FIT THIS ROLE.
MY NAME IS SFA AND I'M RECITED SHARON.
RUN FOR GYC SECRETARY TO KEEP IT SHORT AND SWEET.
I HAVE THREE SIMPLE REASONS WHY I'D BE RIGHT FOR THIS POSITION.
FIRST, AS YOU CAN SEE, I LOVE TAKING NOTES, WHETHER IT'S ON PAPER OR EVEN ONLINE.
I'M THE ONE YOU WOULD GO TO WHEN YOU NEED NOTES FOR AN EXAM.
SECOND IS BECAUSE I KNOW THIS POSITION IS MORE THAN JUST NOTE TAKING, IT'S BRINGING YOUR IDEAS, MAKING THEM SOMETHING WRITTEN AND THEN REAL EXPERIENCES.
AND I'LL MAKE SURE THAT ALL OF YOUR IDEAS ARE ON PAPER AND ACTUALLY HEARD.
FINALLY, I HAVE EXPERIENCE IN THIS POSITION BEING NHS SECRETARY MY SOPHOMORE YEAR AND THUS I'M READY FOR THIS POSITION DUE TO MY PAST, UM, OPPORTUNITIES.
SO REMEMBER, VOTE SFA FOR SECRETARY AND YOUR THOUGHTS WILL BE SAFE WITH SFA BECAUSE YOUR VOICE MATTERS AND I'VE GOTTEN WRITTEN DOWN.
OKAY, WE'VE GOT ALL OF Y'ALL ON THE BOARD.
SO IF Y'ALL WANNA HEAD BACK TO YOUR SEATS.
AND OUR LAST BUT NOT LEADLESS SESSION IS HISTORIAN.
AND SO ANYBODY WHO WOULD LIKE TO RUN FOR THE POSITION OF HISTORIAN, PLEASE MAKE YOUR WAY TO THE FRONT.
MY NAME IS BRIA MORALE AND I'M SELF, I'M A JUNIOR AT SAC C HIGH SCHOOL AND THIS IS MY SECOND YEAR IN GYC.
SO I'M REALLY EXCITED FOR THIS YEAR.
THIS YEAR I'LL BE RUNNING AS HISTORIAN JUST BECAUSE I LOVE TAKING PICTURES AND I THINK IT'S JUST A GREAT WAY TO CAPTURE OUR MOMENTS AND JUST EVERY SOCIAL AND EVERY ACTIVITY THAT WE DO.
I THINK IT'D BE SUCH A GREAT WAY JUST TO ENJOY THE MOMENT AND JUST TO BE ABLE TO LOOK BACK ON THESE MEMORIES AND BE LIKE, WOW, WE ANY DIFFERENCE IN THE COMMUNITY? AND I THINK IT WOULD BE JUST SO MUCH FUN.
JUST GET TO KNOW EACH AND EVERY ONE OF Y'ALL AND MAKE NEW MEMORIES AND MAKE NEW FRIENDS.
SO YEAH, I THINK YOU SHOULD WRITE FOR YOU FOR HISTORIAN.
I'M MILES AND I'M WRITING FOR HISTORIAN, ALSO NOW BEING HISTORIAN, I BELIEVE IT IS JUST NOT ABOUT TAKING PICTURES AND HOPING EVERYONE LOOKS GOOD IN THEM, ALTHOUGH I'LL TRY MY BEST.
IT'S ABOUT CAPTURING MEMORIES, ACCOMPLISHMENTS, AND MOMENTS THAT MAKE THIS YEAR SPECIAL.
I BELIEVE I'M THE RIGHT PERSON FOR THE JOB 'CAUSE I HAVE STRONG SOCIAL SKILLS.
I'M ACCOUNTABLE AND I HAVE PLENTY EXPERIENCE OF CREATING CONTENT.
I ALSO HAVE SOME EXPERIENCE IN CREATING, UM, SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT IN JUST A LITTLE MORE THAN A YEAR.
I ACCUMULATED OVER A MILLION VIEWS ON YOUTUBE, BUT MORE IMPORTANTLY, I'M SOMEONE THAT WHO CAN COMMUNICATE AND CONNECT WITH PEOPLE.
I'LL MAKE SURE EVERYONE AND EVERY EVENT GETS REPRESENTED.
AND IF I'M, AND IF I'M GIVEN A RESPONSIBILITY, YOU WON'T HAVE TO WONDER WHETHER IT'LL GET DONE.
SO IF YOU WANT A HISTORIAN WHO CAN CAPTURE MEMORIES, CREATE GREAT CONTENT, AND ACTUALLY REMEMBER TO POST IT, I'D REALLY APPRECIATE YOUR VOTE.
OKAY, Y'ALL, I AM REALLY IMPRESSED.
CAN I JUST SAY THE, THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE THAT WE HAD RUNNING FOR POSITIONS IS THE MOST WE'VE EVER HAD.
UM, AND, AND Y'ALL WERE SO WELL PREPARED THAT IT SHOWED, UM, LIKE YOU'VE BEEN PRACTICING, YOU HAD NOTES, YOU, I MEAN, YOU HAD YOUR THOUGHTS, UM, YOU KNOW, PLANNED OUT.
AND SO IT, IT, WE ARE VERY PROUD OF ALL OF Y'ALL AND, AND AS I THINK WAS
SO MS. WANDA'S GONNA PASS OUT PENS TO EVERYONE.
THIS IS THE REASON WHY I DIDN'T GIVE Y'ALL PENS BECAUSE I KNOW THAT Y'ALL WAS GONNA WRITE ON THOSE BALLOTS.
MS. ROD IS PASSING OUT THE PENS.
ALL OF THE NAMES ARE UP ON THE FRONT.
UH, SO YOU CAN REMEMBER WHO IS RUNNING.
IF YOU WILL FILL OUT YOUR BALLOT AND THEN FOLD IT TOGETHER, PLEASE FOLD IT SO THAT, AND THEN WE'LL COME, WE'LL COME PICK THEM UP HERE IN JUST A MINUTE.
[00:25:31]
THAT'S FINE IF YOU FOR YOURSELF, REMEMBER THE STAFF COMES IN AND SPONSORS WILL DO NOT VOTE.I WE'RE ALSO PASSING OUT THE COMMITTEE VOTING SHEETS TOO.
WRITE TO Y'ALL HOW TO FILL THEM OUT.
ALL RIGHT, MS. DARIEN IS GOING AROUND AND SHE IS PICKING UP THE BALLOTS FOR THE COMMITTEE COUNCILS.
EVERYONE SHOULD HAVE RECEIVED THE COMMITTEE CHOICES.
WE HAVE THREE COMMITTEES, THE SOCIALS TEAM AND PROJECT COMMUNITY SERVICE LAST YEAR.
LAST YEAR WE HIT EVERY COMMITTEE FROM TEEN EVENTS TO THE SOCIAL, TO THE COMMUNITY SERVICE EVENT.
SO BIG CONGRATULATIONS ON LAST YEAR.
THIS YEAR Y'ALL GOT BIG SHOES TO FILL.
SO HOW DO WAY YOU RANK IT, ONE, TWO, AND THREE.
YOU PUT THE TOP ONE BUT YOU WANT TO BE A PART OF, THEN YOU PUT THE SECOND ONE THAT YOU KIND OF LIKE MAYBE.
THEN THE THIRD ONE IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE.
OKAY, IS I WANNA GET IN SOCIAL, SO I'M GONNA CHOOSE NUMBER ONE AND IF I DON'T, NOT ABLE TO GET IN SOCIALS, I DON'T WANNA DO COMMUNITY AS THE SECOND ONE.
I'M GONNA CHOOSE COMMUNITY FOR THE SECOND ONE.
AND THEN FOR THE THIRD ONE, I'M GONNA CHOOSE TEEN EVENTS ONE, TWO, AND THREE.
AND PLEASE PUT YOUR NAME ON THE TOP OF IT.
PLEASE PUT YOUR NAME ON THE TOP OR THE BOTTOM SOMEWHERE WE CAN SEE IT ANYWHERE.
ANY QUESTIONS, COMMENTS, CONCERNS? WE GOOD? OKAY, IF THERE'S, HEY, WHO ARE WE MISSING? EVERYBODY'S MINUS ONE.
[00:33:56]
GUYS WE'RE GONNA MISS AND TASI ARE TALLYING, I WAS ABOUT TO CALL HER TALLY, BUT SHE MISS RDA AND TASI ARE TALLYING SAY THAT A LOT OF TIMES FAST.UM, ALL OF OUR COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS AND OUR EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE UH, VOTES.
AND SO WE WILL FIND OUT BEFORE WE LEAVE TODAY, UH, WHAT THE RESULTS ARE.
BUT IN THE MEANTIME, TO KEEP Y'ALL ENGAGED, WE UM, HAVE, ME AND MR. DARION ARE GOING TO LET Y'ALL KNOW WE ARE SO GLAD THAT YOU HAVE CHOSEN TO GIVE US YOUR YEAR AND SOME OF YOU MULTIPLE YEARS TO VOLUNTEER WITH US.
BUT THERE ARE SEVERAL OTHER OPPORTUNITIES FOR SERVICE FOR YOUTH THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
SOME THAT YOU COULD DO CONCURRENTLY WHILE SERVING ON YOUTH COUNCIL.
UM, SOME MAY REQUIRE, I MEAN, LOOK INTO THEM MORE.
YOU KNOW, SOME ARE PAID OPPORTUNITIES.
SO GONNA TALK ABOUT SOME JOB OPPORTUNITIES.
SO WE WANNA HELP Y'ALL OUT, UM, AND SOME MONEY IN YOUR POCKET.
UH, BUT JUST WE WANT TO LET Y'ALL KNOW ABOUT DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES THAT YOU'VE HAD WITHIN THE CITY IN CASE YOU MAY NOT BE AWARE OF IT.
SO I'M GONNA LET MS. DARIEN START IT OFF.
[00:35:01]
HELLO EVERYBODY.OH, THAT'S KIND OF KIND OF BORING, KIND.
HOW ARE Y'ALL DOING TODAY? YES, HE HAS LOVE TO HEAR.
HOW MANY OF Y'ALL KNOW WHAT PARKS AND REC IS? YEAH, WHAT IS PARKS AND REC IN A SYNOPSIS? UM, IT'S LIKE REC, OKAY, RECREATION.
LIKE HE THINKS THAT THE CITY OFFERS FOR FUN FOR PEOPLE TO DO FOR FUN FOR EXERCISE.
SO PARTS AND REC DOES OFFER A LOT WHEN IT COMES TO, UM, ATHLETICS, KEEPING UP OUR PARTS MAINTENANCE, UM, PROVIDING OTHER SPACES FOR COMMUNITIES TO GATHER.
UM, BUT WHAT Y'ALL DON'T ALWAYS SEE IS KIND OF THE BEHIND THE SCENES OF IT ALL.
UM, SO I'M SURE Y'ALL HAVE WORKED WITH VOLUNTEER GARLAND BEFORE BECAUSE I JOINED THIS ABOUT THIS.
SO SOME OF Y'ALL HAVE WORKED WITH VOLUNTEER GARLAND.
SO VOLUNTEER GARLAND DOES TECHNICALLY FALL UNDER THE SAME UMBRELLA AS PARKS AND RECREATION.
SO THERE'S AQUATICS, AQUATICS HAS SEARCH AND SWIM, IT HAS UH, BRADFIELD POOL, IT HAS HOBO, UM, SORRY, HALFORD'S POOL.
UM, SO THERE ARE DIFFERENT AVENUES WITHIN PARKS AND REC THAT YOU'RE ABLE TO KIND OF JOIN IN.
AND ONE THING PEOPLE ALWAYS SAY IS YOU HAVE A FOOT IN THE DOOR IN ONE SMALL PART OF PARKS AND REC, YOU'RE SET FOR GOOD.
LIKE YOU CAN GO ANYWHERE WITHIN PARKS AND REC.
YOU CAN GO ANYWHERE IN THE CITY BECAUSE YOUR NAME'S GONNA BE KNOWN WITH YOU GUYS ALREADY BEING A PART OF GARLAND YOUTH COUNCIL, THIS IS Y'ALLS FOOT IN, RIGHT? BEING A PART OF THE YOUTH COUNCIL IS A LOT MORE THAN JUST BEING A PART OF A CLUB OR PART OF A GROUP.
IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN STAND ON IF YOU WANNA MOVE, YOU CAN.
I KNOW THAT SUN'S BLOOD IN THE FACE.
UM, SO YOU GUYS ALREADY DO HAVE KIND OF A FOUNDATION TO STAND ON WHEN IT DOES COME TO AND PARKS AND RECREATIONS.
SO WHAT DO WE HAVE TO OFFER FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO ARE, WHO ARE IN HIGH SCHOOL? WE HAVE A LITTLE, NOT A LOT JUST YET, JUST YET, BUT WHEN YOU ARE 16 YEARS OLD, YOU CAN BE AT THE FRONT DESK.
SO WE DO OFFER PART-TIME POSITIONS FOR KIDS WHO ARE 14, WHO ARE 16 YEARS OLD.
WHAT DOES THAT HELP YOU WITH? IT HELPS WITH COMMUNICATION.
IT HELPS YOU WITH COLLABORATION.
A LOT OF THE FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS THAT YOU LEARNED HERE AT GAR YOUTH COUNCIL WITH COLLABORATING WITH TEAMWORK DECEMBER THE THIRD YOU'LL USE UPFRONT.
YOU'LL BE SURPRISED HOW MANY PEOPLE APPLY FOR THIS JOB AND DON'T HOW TO ANSWER A PHONE OR DON'T KNOW HOW TO COMMUNICATE PEOPLE.
BUT YOU GUYS ALREADY HAVING THAT KIND OF STEPPING STONES FOR IT AND Y'ALL BEING A PART OF DIFFERENT ORGANIZATIONS WITHIN YOUR SCHOOLS, IT'S GONNA HELP YOU OUT HERE.
IF I WERE TO HAVE ANY OF YOU GUYS COME TO AN INTERVIEW FOR MY PART-TIMERS, I'M AUTOMATICALLY YES, BECAUSE I KNOW YOUR WORK ETHIC.
UM, ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY THAT WE HAVE FOR TEENS IS GOING TO BE IN AQUATICS.
SO AQUATICS IS GONNA BE SUMMERTIME, RIGHT? SO LIFEGUARDING, I'M NOT A LIFEGUARDING PERSON.
I MIGHT THROW YOU A FLOATY, BUT I'M NOT THE BEST SWIMMER.
BUT IF YOU GUYS ARE A STRONG SWIMMERS, TECHNICALLY YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE TO BE A STRONG SWIMMER.
SO FOR LIFEGUARDING IN THE SUMMERTIME, THEY START APPLICATIONS MID-FEBRUARY BECAUSE THEY DO HAVE TO FILL UP THE WHOLE SUMMER WITH LIFEGUARDS AND THAT'S AT SO MANY DIFFERENT LOCATIONS.
UM, AND SO WITH THAT, YOU'RE GONNA GET FULL ON, YOU'RE GONNA GET SITE TRAINING, YOU'RE GONNA GET FIRST AID TRAINING WITH THAT.
UM, IT DOES COME WITH A LOT OF RESPONSIBILITY ON YOU, BUT AGAIN, LIFEGUARDING ARE STEPPING STONES FOR YOU TO HAVE.
SO YOU CAN GO FURTHER ON, WHETHER IT BE IN LIFEGUARDING, AQUATICS OR, OR MAYBE YOU DO WANNA BE IN PARKS AND WHEN YOU GROW OLDER, UM, I DIDN'T THINK I WOULD BE HERE IN PARKS AND RECREATION, BUT HERE I AM.
I WENT FROM WORKING IN HOSPITALS, WORKING WITH KIDS, UM, IN HARD SITUATIONS AND I FOUND MY WAY BACK TO PARKS AND RECREATION.
SO YOU NEVER KNOW WHERE IT COULD TAKE YOU, BUT 'CAUSE I HAD MY FOOT IN THE DOOR WHENEVER I WAS ALL'S AGE, I WAS ABLE TO COME BACK.
UM, ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY THAT WE DO HAVE IN THE SUMMERTIME IS SUMMER CAMP.
FOR SUMMER CAMP YOU HAVE TO BE A LITTLE OLDER.
GRADUATE HIGH 18 AND GRADUATED HIGH SCHOOL.
SO FOR MY SENIORS, YOU HAVE A SENIOR YET HOW MANY SENIORS? 1, 2, 3.
FOR FOURS? YES, FOR MY SENIORS.
IF YOU GUYS WANT A SUMMER JOB AND ME AND YOU LOVE WORKING WITH KIDS, IF YOU DON'T LIKE, IF YOU DON'T WANNA WORK WITH KIDS, NOT LOT BECAUSE THERE ARE LOTS.
BUT IF YOU LOVE WORKING WITH KIDS AND YOU ARE A SENIOR IN HIGH SCHOOL AND YOU WANT A FOOT IN THE DOOR, MAYBE YOU WANNA BE A TEACHER.
IF YOU WANNA DO A PARK AND REC, IF YOU WANNA JUST HAVE A FUN SUMMER, COME JOIN OUR SUMMER CAMPS BECAUSE SUMMER CAMPS ARE SO MUCH FUN.
THEY OFFER GREAT OPPORTUNITIES.
AGAIN, YOU'RE GETTING COMMUNICATION SKILLS WITH KID, WITH KIDS AS WELL AS PARENTS.
AND PARENTS SOMETIMES ARE A LITTLE HARDER TO TALK TO THAN KIDS
SO YOU LEARN A LOT ABOUT COMMUNICATION.
UM, AND MAYBE YOU GUYS DON'T WANT ANYTHING TO DO WITH PARTS AND REC AND THAT'S COOL TOO.
BUT THESE FOUNDATIONAL SKILLS THAT YOU BUILD IN PARKS AND RECREATION WILL HELP YOU ACROSS THE BOARD.
IF YOU WORK IN CONSTRUCTION, IN CONSTRUCTION AND ENGINEERING AND WHATEVER IT IS,
[00:40:01]
YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO TALK TO PEOPLE.YOU'RE GONNA HAVE TO KNOW HOW TO COMMUNICATE WITH PEOPLE AND THIS IS THE BEST WAY TO DO IT.
UM, ESPECIALLY IF YOU REALLY DON'T KNOW WHAT YOU WANNA DO AND YOU KIND OF JUST WANNA START SOMEWHERE.
RHONDA, I NEVER THOUGHT THAT I WOULD BE SO GOOD FRIENDS WITH RHONDA AND HERE I AM BECAUSE I CAME INTO PARKS AND TODAY AND TASSIE, SAME WITH TASSI.
TASSIE CAME INTO BE ONE OF OUR PART-TIME OUR PARTTIME AND LOVE HER TO DEATH.
I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD MEET MISS TIFFANY, BUT HERE SHE IS.
I USED USED TO HAVE HER EMAILS IN MY INBOX AND BE LIKE, WHO IS THIS LADY? NOW I KNOW WHO SHE IS.
BUT AGAIN, IT'S THESE COMMUNICATION, IT'S THE NETWORKING THAT YOU GET FROM THIS JOB THAT'S GONNA TAKE YOU FURTHER.
SO, WELL ONE THING, MYSTERION, SO LIKE OUR, OUR HISTORIANS WHO ARE TALKING ABOUT POSTING ON SOCIAL MEDIA AND AND TAKING PICTURES AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
MYSTERION HELPS WITH THE PARKS AND REC, SOCIAL MEDIA.
SO I MEAN IT, IT ALL TRANSLATES Y'ALL.
SO YOU'D BE SURPRISED BY ONE LITTLE SMALL SKILL THAT YOU LEARN HERE, HOW VASTLY IT CAN TAKE YOU.
SO DEFINITELY DO PARKS AND RECREATION.
THERE'S LOTS OF OPPORTUNITIES IF YOU DON'T WANNA DO ANY OF THAT, JOIN VOLUNTEER GARLAND.
YOU KNOW HOW MANY PROJECTS THAT GO ON EVERY SINGLE WEEK INTO THE CITY OF GARLAND TO KEEP 'CAUSE GARLAND IS MASSIVE.
I DON'T KNOW IF Y'ALL NOTICED, GARLAND IS HUGE IN ORDER TO KEEP IT CLEAN, IN ORDER TO KEEP IT AS GOOD AS IT IS AND TO MAKE IT BETTER, WE HAVE TO PUT IN THE WORK FOR IT.
IT'S GONNA BE GOOD ON APPLICATION.
IT'S GONNA BE GOOD JUST FOR YOURSELF TO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY THAT HELPED YOU, HELPED YOU GROW INTO WHERE YOU ARE NOW.
SO GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY, BE A PART OF THE COMMUNITY.
AND JUST A PLUG FOR THAT AS WELL.
SHE SAID IT IS UNDER THE UMBRELLA OF OF PARKS AND REC, BUT THAT'S SOMETHING.
IF YOU'RE INTERESTED, LIKE MR. IAN MENTIONED, THERE ARE SO MANY OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN THERE THAT YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE, YOU KNOW, SERVING ON BEHALF OF GARLAND NEW CENTER.
WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A GROUP, ALTHOUGH LAST YEAR WE DID HAVE A, UM, A CLEANUP AT OUR SKATE PARK, UM, THAT WAS A VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY WITH YOUTH COUNCIL.
WE MAY TRY TO DO THAT SAME THING AGAIN THIS YEAR, BUT YOU, WE DON'T HAVE TO HAVE IT AS AN ORGANIZED YOUTH COUNCIL, YOU KNOW, EVENT FOR YOU GUYS TO GO ON THERE.
THEY HAVE A LIST ON THEIR WEBSITE OF ALL THE DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES THAT YOU CAN JUST SIGN UP TO GO VOLUNTEER.
THEY DO CLEANUPS FOR, UM, SOME OF OUR WATERWAYS WITHIN THE CITY, YOU KNOW, ALONG THE, THE CREEK BEDS, UM, OR, OR YOU KNOW, RIVER BEDS.
THEY'LL DO NEIGHBORHOOD CLEANUPS.
THEY DO SOMETIMES WE HAVE, UM, ELDERLY OR DISABLED HOMEOWNERS POTENTIALLY THAT NEED HELP.
SOMEBODY WILL CUT THE BRANCHES DOWN AND THEY JUST NEED SOMEBODY TO, YOU KNOW, HELP DRAG THE BRANCHES INTO A PILE OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THINGS THAT ALL OF US COULD POTENTIALLY DO.
UM, THEY HAVE SO MANY DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES THAT YES, IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR A WAY TO, TO GET INVOLVED, UM, DEFINITELY LOOK THERE.
SO I DID HAVE A PRESENTATION FROM LIBRARY, BUT I MAY ACTUALLY ASK BECAUSE I KNOW WE HAVE SOME MEMBERS WHO ARE PART OF SOME LIBRARY, UM, VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES.
UM, THEY ARE BROTHER AND SISTER OVER AT OUR FIRST TABLE AND THEY ASKED THEM, UM, SO GARLAND PUBLIC LIBRARIES, UM, IF Y'ALL HAVE NOT CHECKED OUT A PUBLIC LIBRARY, I'M GONNA GIVE THEM A PLUG.
I AM ONE OF THEIR BIGGEST FANS BEHIND PARSON REC.
THEY'RE LIKE MY, LIKE NEXT, YOU KNOW, THING THAT I SING THEIR PRAISES ABOUT OUR LIBRARIES.
YOU MAY THINK LIBRARIES, YOU JUST A PLACE FOR BOOKS AND YOU KNOW, IF, FOR RESEARCH, IF YOU, IF YOU NEED SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
I MEAN THE, OUR LIBRARIES REALLY TRY TO BE A GATHERING PLACE FOR OUR COMMUNITY AND A PLACE THAT CAN MEET ANY NEED THAT YOU MIGHT HAVE.
UM, THEY OFFER SO MANY DIFFERENT EITHER EVENING OR WEEKEND TYPE, UM, JUST FUN EVENTS OR CLASSES.
LIKE SOMETIMES IT'S, THEY HAVE LIKE A BRITNEY SPEARS MEETUP OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
PEOPLE WHO LIKE BRITNEY SPEARS MUSIC AND THEY WERE JUST LIKE MEETING UP TO SHARE SOME, SOME SNACKS AND LISTEN TO BRITNEY SPEARS MUSIC.
BUT THEY ALSO DO OTHER, LIKE, THEY DO HOMEWORK HELP AND THEY DO SMALL BUSINESS, YOU KNOW, UM, ASSISTANCE, LIKE HELPING PEOPLE.
THEY HELP PEOPLE WITH RESUMES FOR, UH, JOBS.
AND THEY HAVE MAKER SPACES THAT IF YOU GUYS EVER WANTED TO CREATE A VIDEO, THEY'VE GOT GREEN SCREENS AND VIDEO EQUIPMENT.
THEY'VE GOT PODCASTING EQUIPMENT.
THEY, UM, HAVE CRICKET MACHINES.
IF YOU GUYS KNOW WHAT CRICKET MACHINES ARE THAT DO THE VINYL CUTTING THAT YOU CAN MAKE T-SHIRTS ON, THEY'VE GOT WOODWORKING, LIKE ALL OF LIKE ANYTHING THAT YOU MIGHT WANNA JUST HAVE A HOBBY AND, AND TRY SOME THINGS OUT ON, THEY OFFER THAT.
AND YOU CAN GET A LIBRARY CARD FOR FREE.
SO I MEAN IT'S BASICALLY ALL OF EVERYTHING THEY OFFER IS FREE.
UM, SO THAT'S JUST SOMETHING THAT IS, YOU MAY LOOK INTO THAT JUST AS A, AS A WAY TO SPEND YOUR TIME.
BUT THEN THE VOLUNTEERING SIDE OF IT OR, UM, THE WAY TO, TO BE
[00:45:01]
INVOLVED AS FAR AS SERVICE.UM, THEY HAVE A TEEN ADVISORY BOARD AND I BELIEVE THE AAS ARE PART OF THE TEEN ADVISORY BOARD.
CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT? I MEAN, I HAVE A POWERPOINT THAT I COULD READ OFF OF, BUT I FIGURE IT'D BE NICER TO HEAR FROM PEOPLE WHO ARE ON IT.
I DID NOT, YOU WERE GONNA GET MENTIONED.
SORRY, I THREW Y'ALL, I THREW Y'ALL UNDER THE GLASS OVER HERE.
BUT, UH, YEAH, SO BASICALLY, UH, GOOD IDEAS ABOUT HOW TO LIKE, IMPROVE STUFF IN THE LIBRARY.
SO I AGREE YOU CAN HELP WITH, UH, DIFFERENT COMPONENTS PROGRAMS. FOR EXAMPLE, UM, WE CUT OUT SOME LITTLE LIKE PAPER CIRCLES FOR SOME MATCHES THAT WERE GONNA BE, YOU KNOW, ON DISPLAY, LIKE THAT PROGRAM ON THE LIBRARY AND A BUNCH OF OTHER STUFF.
AND YOU GOT BUNCH OF DOLLARS AND YOU GUYS TALK ABOUT HERE, UM, LIKE AROUND YOUR AGE.
AND THERE'S ALSO, BECAUSE I KNOW THAT'S PRETTY, UM, AND YEAH, LIKE GABRIEL SAID, AND ALSO YOU ALSO GET TO SHARE YOUR IDEAS WITH THE LIBRARY, LIKE HOW TO WHAT YOU KNOW, WHAT TO IMPROVE.
LIKE, UM, FOR EXAMPLE, UH, THERE WAS THIS, UH, SUMMER READING PROGRAM.
WE CAME UP WITH IDEAS FOR PRIZES.
SO THERE WERE AIR PODS, THERE WAS LIKE A DE LAYER BOOK COLLECTION.
UM, THERE WAS A DRAWING IPAD AND ALL OF US TEAMS THAT WERE IN ROOM CAME UP WITH ALL THOSE.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO LIKE STEP IN A LITTLE MORE INTO YOUR LIBRARY, BE LIKE, HEY, I WANNA HELP COMMUNITY IN THIS WAY.
THAT'S, THAT'S A GOOD THING THAT Y'ALL, I REALLY, IT WOULD BE REALLY GREAT FOR YOU TO GO BECAUSE PEOPLE GO.
AND SO, UM, PLEASE CONSIDER IN, UH, CENTRAL, HOW OFTEN DO THEY MEET? UH, IT IS ONCE A MONTH.
I THINK THE NEXT MEETING IS THE 16TH OF, UH, THIS ON SEPTEMBER? YES.
I'M SURE THEY HAVE A SLIDE ON THAT.
SO LEMME KIND TRY TO GO THROUGH THIS QUICKLY.
SO YEAH, CHECK OUT MATERIALS AND LIBRARY SYSTEMS ASSISTANCE, TUTORING, HOMEWORK RESOURCES, THOSE COULD BE HELPFUL.
UH, PRINTING STUDY ROOMS. WHOOPS.
UH, THIS IS THE ONE THAT HAD TEEN PROGRAMS. TEEN ADVISORY BOARD.
YOU CAN EARN VOLUNTEER HOURS, UH, FOR HELPING WITH CRAFTS OR PLANNING EVENTS.
UM, CURIOSITY CORNER AGES 13 PLUS CAN LEARN HOW TO USE THE MAKER SPACE EQUIPMENT LIKE THE 3D PRINTER, THE LASER CUTTER.
UH, THERE'S CRAFTS PROGRAMS, CAREER READINESS WORKSHOPS, UH, D AND D ONE SHOT.
IF ANY OF Y'ALL ARE INTO THAT, UM, LIKE I DON'T REALLY KNOW WHAT THAT IS.
YES, BUT IS THAT STILL? YES MA'AM.
IS THAT STILL A THING? YES, THAT, YES.
UM, ADVISORY BOARD, YOU CAN GET SERVICE HOURS.
UM, THEY'RE A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO DIVE DEEPER WITH YOUR LIBRARY QUESTIONS.
IT'S FUN SPACE TO HANG OUT WITH FRIENDS.
UM, THIS IS YOUR CHANCE TO TELL US WHAT YOU WANT YOUR LIBRARY TO BE, UM, UH, TEAM VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITY.
SO YOU CAN EARN COMMUNITY SERVICE HOURS WHILE YOU DO YOUR HOMEWORK.
UM, YOU CAN ALSO HELP THEM KEEP THE CHILDREN'S AREA CLEAN THEIR BOOKS ORGANIZED, AND THEN HELP THE LIBRARIES WITH THE PROGRAM PREP.
AND THEN YOU CAN ALSO SIGN UP TO HELP WITH SOME OF THOSE SPECIAL PROGRAMS, LIKE I MENTIONED.
UH, THEY HAVE A FUN BRIGHT FIESTA, A STEAM LAB AND OTHER KIDS EVENTS.
AND THEN IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
SO, UM, THAT'S THE LIBRARY CALENDAR.
THEY HAVE AN EVENT, RIGHT? I MS. MAY WE WE CAN, WE CAN EMAIL THIS OUT.
UM, AND THAT, SO THAT'S A FOUR FOR LIBRARY.
THERE'S ONE OTHER THING I WANTED TO SHOW Y'ALL TOO, AND I COULD NOT FIND THE WEBSITE.
UM, BUT I PULLED UP, LIKE I JUST PULLED UP THEIR, I MEAN THEY HAD AN INSTAGRAM POST ABOUT IT.
UM, SO THEY RUN THIS ABOUT ONCE A YEAR.
OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT HAS A CITIZENS, UH, A YOUTH CITIZENS POLICE ACADEMY.
SO THEY, YOU KNOW, EVERY YEAR, UM, LIKE OUR FIRE AND OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT DO LIKE CITIZENS ACADEMIES AND SO THOSE ARE FOR ADULTS.
WELL, OUR POLICE HAS A YOUTH VERSION OF THAT AND IT IS, I THINK IT'S, UM, A SIX OR EIGHT WEEK PROGRAM AND THEY RUN IT ABOUT ONCE A YEAR.
UM, THAT ONE, YOU KNOW, I'M NOT SURE HOW THAT WOULD FIT INTO OUR SCHEDULE, BUT, BUT I DID WANNA MAKE SURE THAT
[00:50:01]
THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT YOU COULD, UM, YOU KNOW, REACH OUT ABOUT.AND WE CAN HELP Y'ALL GET IN TOUCH WITH ANYBODY WHO'S, UM, INTERESTED IN THAT.
WE CAN HELP GET IN TOUCH WITH, UH, THE, THE PERSON, THE OFFICER THAT'S OVER THAT.
UH, BUT IT IS, YOU KNOW, YOU GET TO LEARN ALL ABOUT THE POLICE DEPARTMENT, NOT EXACTLY SURE ALL THE, UM, HANDS-ON THINGS THAT YOU GET TO DO.
I KNOW IN LIKE THE, THE ADULT VERSION, THEY'RE LIKE SHOOTING GANGS AND DOING OTHER THINGS.
SO I DOUBT THEY'RE LETTING THE KIDS DO THAT.
UH, BUT I, I KNOW THERE ARE AT LEAST SOME HANDS ON OPPORTUNITIES, I'M SURE.
SO, UH, ONE, THROW A PLUG IN THERE FOR THAT.
UM, BUT WITH THAT WE ARE GONNA HAVE OUR COUNCIL MEMBER HERE VERY SOON.
SO MS. MAR GO TO THE COMMITTEES YET, OR, I WAS WORKING ON THAT.
OKAY, SO WHAT WE PROBABLY DO, WE'RE GONNA MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT.
MS. TASSIE'S GONNA HELP US MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT OF OUR POSITION, OUR EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE POSITIONS, AND THEN, UM, IF THERE IS A FEW MORE MINUTES BEFORE, UH, DEPUTY MAYOR PROTON DUN ARRIVES, WE'LL LET Y'ALL, UM, KIND OF TALK WHILE MS. FINISHES MAKING, UH, THE COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS AND WE'LL HAVE THOSE READY BY THE TIME THAT WE'RE DONE.
OKAY? SO MS. RON, I'M GONNA LET YOU HAVE YOUR COMPUTER BACK, SO, OKAY.
SHE HAS TO, YOU HAVE TO STAND, DO ONE BY ONE, MA'AM.
AND WE'VE GOTTA DRUM ROLL AND EVERYTHING.
SO FIRST ON NOW WHO GOT OUR HISTORIAN POSITION? AND THIS WASN'T REALLY, THESE WERE REALLY, THESE WAS REALLY CLOSE.
LIKE, IT WAS LIKE BACK AND FORTH.
OKAY, NEXT WE GOT OUR SECRETARY.
OKAY, NEXT WE HAVE FOR OUR VP ROLE.
OKAY, LAST NOT LEAST, WE DO OUR PRESIDENT POSITION.
SO CAN WE GET THE NEW COUNCIL OFFICERS UP HERE SO WE CAN TAKE A QUICK PICTURE OF ALL OF Y'ALL REAL FAST? AND WELL JUST TO LET EVERYONE KNOW TOO, THAT THERE ARE STILL THREE MORE POSITIONS, UM, YOU KNOW, TO KIND OF HELP SERVE AS WELL.
SO FOR EACH OF OUR COMMITTEES, WE DO HAVE A LEAD FOR EACH OF OUR COMMITTEES BECAUSE OUR COMMITTEES, AS WE MENTIONED, THERE ARE ABOUT 12 MEMBERS FOR EACH COMMITTEE.
SO WHEN Y'ALL ARE WORKING AND WHEN WE REPORT OUT AT THE END, WE, WE CAN'T LISTEN TO ALL 12 PEOPLE.
SO WE, WE DO NOMINATE OR YOU KNOW, HAVE, ASK SOMEONE TO STEP UP AND BE THAT LEAD FOR EACH OF THEIR COMMITTEES.
SO THAT'S SOMETHING THAT Y'ALL CAN CONSIDER, UM, AS WELL BEING THE LEAD FOR YOUR COMMITTEE.
[00:55:32]
YOU TWO HOURS, YOU KNOW WHERE LISTEN, LISTEN, DEPUTY MAYOR PROTEST SHOULD BE HERE ANY MINUTE, BUT I WILL SAY, UH, YEAH, WE WILL PROBABLY ONLY HAVE TIME FOR ABOUT MAYBE ONE QUESTION I WON'T REPLACE.WE'LL PICK THE QUESTION MINUTE.
SO WITHOUT FURTHER ADO, WE HAVE VERY SPECIAL GUEST TODAY.
THIS IS OUR DEPUTY MAYOR PERISSA.
AND SO I'M GONNA TURN IT STRAIGHT OVER TO HER.
LET HER TAKE AS MUCH TIME TAKE, DON'T TELL ME AS MUCH TIME.
WE HAD SEVEN, SO YOU'VE GOT AS MUCH TIME UNTIL HELLO, HOW ARE YOU GUYS? GREAT.
[01:00:02]
YES.FIRST MEETING, RIGHT? FIRST OFFICIAL.
SO MY NAME IS CARISSA, I AM THE COUNCILPERSON FOR DISTRICT SIX.
DO YOU GUYS KNOW WHERE THE CRAFT PLANT IS? YES.
SO I'M LIKE FOREST IN SHILOH TO THE CITY OF LIMITS.
UM, LIKE TO PLANO OR NOT PLANO, GOLLY, TO RICHARDSON.
UM, IN DALLAS MILLER IS MY SOUTHERN MOST POINT.
SO I HAVE, UM, HALF OF THE INDUSTRIAL AREA IN GARLAND IS MAGNET.
THAT MEANS WHEN CRAFT EXPLODED, THAT WAS ALL.
SO, UM, WHAT ELSE AM I SUPPOSED TO TALK ABOUT? I TALK, I THOUGHT ABOUT THIS THE WHOLE WAY HERE AND I'VE ALREADY FORGOTTEN.
I HAVE THE MEMORY OF DEAD FLY.
SO LIKE AT LEAST ONE PROJECT THAT IS KIND OF HAPPENING WITHIN YOUR DISTRICT RIGHT NOW TO JUST MAKE SURE THAT THEY KIND OF KNOW WHAT, WHAT'S IMPORTANT GOING ON IN THIS CITY RIGHT NOW OR AN INITIATIVE THAT YOU'RE WORKING ON.
MAYBE IT DOESN'T HAVE TO NECESSARILY BE OKAY.
YEAH, WE HAVE NO PROJECTS GOING ON RIGHT NOW.
UH, STREETS PROJECTS, THERE ARE SOME STREETS PROJECTS GOING ON.
THERE ARE, THERE ARE SOME STREETS.
UM, SO MY, BECAUSE MY DISTRICT HAS BEEN, IT'S ALWAYS JUST AN INDUSTRIAL AND MULTIFAMILY.
UM, WE KIND OF ARE KIND OF, WE'VE GOTTEN KIND OF FORGOTTEN ABOUT FOR A LITTLE BIT, BUT THAT'S ALL RIGHT.
UM, SO THE MOST RECENT PROJECT THAT I WORKED ON WAS GETTING A SEED LIBRARY OVER AT THE WEST GARLAND LIBRARY.
UM, BECAUSE I'M A FIRM BELIEVER THAT YOU CAN GIVE SOMEONE FOOD ALL DAY LONG, BUT THEY, YOU CAN ONLY RELY ON THAT FOR SO LONG.
IF I TEACH YOU HOW TO GROW YOUR OWN FOOD, THEN YOU CAN BE SELF-SUFFICIENT, RIGHT? BECAUSE AS HUMANS THE EASY THING TO DO IS TO DEPEND ON SOMEONE ELSE AS A FEMALE.
AND YOU GUYS WILL LEARN THIS WHEN YOU GET A LITTLE BIT OLDER.
UM, I DON'T WANT TO BE THAT PERSON BECAUSE AS A FEMALE, IF I GO INTO A MECHANIC SHOP, GUESS WHAT? THERE'S A 90% CHANCE THEY'RE GONNA OVERCHARGE ME BECAUSE I'M A GIRL, RIGHT? IT HAPPENS, IT EVEN IN 2026, IT STILL HAPPENS.
SO I DON'T WANT TO DEPEND ON ANYONE ELSE BECAUSE I DON'T WANT TO BE TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF.
I DON'T WANNA BE LIED TO, I DON'T WANT TO BE SCREWED OVER, RIGHT? SO THE BEST WAY TO DO THAT IS TO BE SELF-SUFFICIENT.
IF YOU CAN LEARN IT, LEARN IT.
BUT IF, IF I KNOW HOW TO GROW MY OWN FOOD, THEN IF THERE'S SOME CRAZY C WHO REMEMBERS COVID? DID ANY OF YOU GO INTO THE GROCERY STORE IN THE MIDST OF COVID AND WHAT DID YOU SEE? NO TOILET PAPER.
YES, THE YEAR OF THE NO TOILET PAPER.
BUT THERE ALSO WAS A LOT OF FOOD SHORTAGES, RIGHT? BECAUSE SUPPLY AND DEMAND TOILET PAPER, WE HAD PLENTY OF TOILET PAPER, BUT PEOPLE WENT CRAZY.
THEY PROBABLY STILL HAVE THE SAME TOILET PAPER FROM 2020 THAT BECAUSE THEY JUST OVERBOUGHT, RIGHT? SO IF RIGHT NOW WE'RE SEEING, UM, SHIPPING ISSUES, RIGHT, BECAUSE WE IMPORT A LOT OF STUFF.
SO THERE'S A VERY GOOD CHANCE THAT WE'RE GONNA HAVE SOME KIND OF SUPPLY SHORTAGE ON FRUITS AND VEGETABLES.
'CAUSE A LOT OF THAT STUFF IS NOT GROWN HERE.
SO IF I, IF I WANT CUCUMBERS, I DON'T WANT TO REPLY ON A SHIP THAT IS COMING FROM OVERSEAS TO BRING US CUCUMBERS, RIGHT? SO WHAT'S THE BEST WAY TO SOLVE THAT? YOU YOU MAKE IT YOURSELF, YOU GROW IT YOURSELF, YOU HAVE A GARDEN.
SO, UM, AND BECAUSE OF MY DISTRICT SOCIOECONOMIC, UM, STANDING, A LOT OF PEOPLE GO TO FOOD RIES, WHICH THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THAT.
BUT IF I CAN, IF I CAN GIVE YOU THIS SUPPLIES FOR YOU TO GROW IT YOURSELF, YOU'RE SAVING MONEY, RIGHT? 'CAUSE YOU'RE NOT BUYING IT FROM THE GROCERY STORE.
'CAUSE YOU CAN BE GARDENING FOR 150 YEARS AND YOU WILL STILL LEARN SOMETHING NEW EVERY SEASON.
UM, AND YOU'RE NOT DEPENDENT ON THAT FOOD PANTRY.
SO THAT WAS A HUGE THING FOR ME IS TO HELP PEOPLE BE SELF-SUFFICIENT IN SOME FORMAL WAY.
SO WE'VE GOT THE SEED OPENING, UH, OR THE SEED LIBRARY OPENED A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO AND THE TURNOUT WAS AMAZING.
IT WAS MUCH LARGER THAN WHAT WE EVER THOUGHT IT WOULD BE.
SO NOW THE SECOND STEP OF THAT IS BECAUSE I HAVE A LOT OF MULTI-FAMILY IN MY DISTRICT.
WHEN YOU LIVE IN AN APARTMENT, YOU DON'T HAVE ROOM TO HAVE A GARDEN, RIGHT? SO IF I, IF I ONLY GIVE YOU SEEDS AND YOU DON'T HAVE ANYWHERE TO GROW THEM, I HAVE NOT DONE YOU ANY GOOD, RIGHT? SO TO SOLVE THAT, UM, WE ARE NOW WORKING ON
[01:05:01]
A COMMUNITY GARDEN.SO THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN A MULTIFAMILY AND DON'T HAVE ROOM FOR A GARDEN, THEY CAN COME AND RENT A, A LITTLE PLOT OF LAND AND HAVE A SPACE TO GARDEN.
SO, UM, IT'LL, THEY'RE ALL WITH THEM WITH LIKE A MILE.
LIKE THE SEED LIBRARY IS AT WEST GARLAND.
THE COMMUNITY GARDEN IS GONNA BE OVER BY JACKSON MIDDLE SCHOOL.
AND SO, UM, NOW THERE WILL HAVE, EVERYONE WILL HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO BE ABLE TO UTILIZE THE SEED GARDEN TO GROW THEIR OWN STUFF AND TO GET OUTSIDE 'CAUSE WE ARE INSIDE WAY TOO MUCH.
SO THAT, THAT IS MY SO THE NEXT NOTE THAT'S GREAT.
WE, SO EVERY COUNCIL MEMBER'S GONNA BE KIND OF TELLING US ONE PROJECT THAT, YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE BEEN INSTRUMENTAL IN MAKING HAPPEN THAT THEY'RE PROUD OF OR JUST SOMETHING YOU KNOW THAT THEY WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT'S HAPPENING IN THEIR DISTRICT.
THE OTHER THING THAT I WOULD LOVE FOR Y'ALL TO TOUCH ON, I WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYBODY TOUCHES ON, IS JUST KIND OF WHAT'S YOUR HISTORY YEARS ON COUNCIL AND WHAT KIND OF, WHAT'S YOUR HISTORY WITHIN GARLAND? I KNOW YOU WERE A BIG VOLUNTEER.
WE TALKED, WE'VE BEEN TALKING WITH THEM ABOUT BOTH THE LIBRARY AND LIKE VOLUNTEER GARLAND BEFORE YOU CAME IN.
SO THOSE ARE BOTH THINGS THAT DEPUTY MAYOR, PROTIME DUTTON AS YOU KNOW, VERY INVOLVED WITH.
SO I ACTUALLY WAS IN GARLAND YOUTH COUNCIL IN THE NINETIES, IN THE 19 HUNDREDS.
SO WAY BACK DURING THE OREGON DRILL.
SO, UM, THAT'S KIND OF WHAT STARTED MY, MY GARLAND LIFE.
UM, WE DID, WE HAD A PROGRAM CALLED VALENTINES, WHICH WAS THROUGH, UH, PARKS AND REC AND WE WOULD GO AND DO GRAFFITI CLEANUP.
WE HELPED WITH UM, THERAPEUTIC RECREATION, WHICH IS SPECIAL NEEDS.
UM, WE DID ALL KINDS OF THINGS.
AND SO FOR MY FRIENDS IT WAS A WAY FOR THEM TO GO SOCIALIZE, RIGHT? BECAUSE WE DID THINGS ON THE WEEKEND.
SO THEY WOULD GET TO GO HANG OUT WITH THEIR FRIENDS OUTSIDE OF SCHOOL.
FOR ME IT WAS A WAY OUT OF A TUMULTUOUS HOUSE SO I COULD STAY AT HOME AND, YOU KNOW, MIGHT NOT MAKE IT OUT ALIVE 'CAUSE THEY WERE WILD.
OR I COULD GET OUT OF THE HOUSE, STILL GO HANG OUT WITH MY FRIENDS, BUT ALSO DO SOMETHING BENEFICIAL.
SO AT EVERY YEAR THEY WOULD HAVE THE VOLUNTEERING OF THE YEAR, WHOEVER WANT WHOEVER, UM, HAD THE MOST VOLUNTEER HOURS.
BUT YOU ALSO HAD TO BE PASSING YOUR CLASSES, WHICH WAS REALLY HARD FOR ME BECAUSE I DID NOT CARE ABOUT SCHOOL AT ALL.
DON'T, DON'T TAKE, UH, DON'T FOLLOW THAT PATH.
BUT, UM, SO, UM, I, FOR VALENTINE OF THE YEAR, THEY ASKED ME, WHAT DO YOU, WHAT DO YOU WANT FOR YOUR AWARD? AND SO THAT YEAR I JUST NEEDED A BACKPACK.
AND SO THEY WERE LIKE REALLY CAREER I BACKPACK, YES, I NEEDED A BACKPACK.
SO THAT WAS MY AWARD FOR WINNING VALENTI OF THE YEAR.
SO I HAD OVER 2,500 VOLUNTEER HOURS FOR THE YEAR.
SO I HELPED TEACH SPECIAL OLYMPIC SWIMMING, UM, SPECIAL OLYMPICS BASKETBALL AND BASEBALL.
AND FOR SOMEONE WITH NO EYE HAND COORDINATION, LEMME TELL YOU HOW THAT WAS EXCITING.
LUCKILY THEY DIDN'T JUDGE ME TOO MUCH.
BUT, UM, SO EVEN TO THIS DAY, I STILL GET TO GO AND HELP WITH THERAPEUTIC PROGRESSION, SWIMMING.
UM, SO HEATHER IS OVER THAT, UM, THAT DEPARTMENT AT HOLFORD.
AND SO SHE CALLS ME AND SHE'S LIKE, HEY, I HAVE, CAN YOU COME SWIM WITH SHANE? SHANE'S A QUADRIPLEGIC.
SO HE HAS NO USE OF HIS ARMS AND LEGS, BUT HE WANTS TO SWIM.
AND SO I GET TO, I STILL GET TO GO AND HELP SHANE SWIM.
SO, UM, WITHOUT THAT PROGRAM IT WOULD NOT HAVE HAVE GIVEN ME ANY SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY, ACCOUNTABILITY, OR OWNERSHIP OF MY CITY.
THERE'S NOTHING THAT MAKES YOU FEEL A LITTLE MORE CONNECTED TO YOUR CITY THAN PICKING UP TRASH AND CLEANING GRAFFITI.
SO, UM, I WAS A VERY BIG ADVOCATE FOR HAVING A VOLUNTEER PROGRAM.
UM, NOW IN THE CITY OF MARYLAND, OUR FORMER CITY MANAGER DID NOT CARE FOR ME SO MUCH.
SO HE DID GIVE US A VOLUNTEER PROGRAM AND THEN WE DIDN'T HAVE ANYTHING HAPPEN WITH IT, WHICH WAS OKAY.
UM, IT WAS KIND OF A MAKER SHUT UP.
BUT NOW WE HAVE A VERY ACTIVE AND AMAZING VOLUNTEER GROUP CALLED VOLUNTEER GARLAND.
WE DO UM, TRASH CLEANUP, WE DO PRE CLEANUPS, UM, WE DO LAWN CARE FOR ELDERLY PEOPLE, WE DO ALL KINDS OF THINGS.
OUR LAST BIG PROJECT WAS UM, WE DID A BACK TO SCHOOL, UH, EVENT FOR GISD KIDS THAT ARE IN THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM.
AND SO, UM, WE HAD A CORPORATE SPONSOR THAT PROVIDED BACKPACKS AND SCHOOL SUPPLIES AND THEN WE TOOK THEM TO THE ARCADE AND TO LET THEM JUST BE NORMAL FOR A DAY.
SO, AND THIS IS YOUR FIFTH YEAR? OH MY GOSH, NO.
UM, THIS, I'M GOING INTO MY FOURTH YEAR.
SO IN MAY I WILL BE UP FOR REELECTION FOR MY FINAL TERM.
SO WE'RE GONNA TRY, WE'LL SEE WHAT HAPPENS AFTER THAT.
[01:10:01]
WE CAN GET TERM LIMITS PAUSED.'CAUSE
HOW MANY OF YOU FELT LIKE YOU HAD NO IDEA WHAT YOU WERE DOING LAST YEAR? DON'T LIE.
OKAY, SO IN BIG P COUNCIL FOR THE FIRST TWO YEARS, YOU WILL FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA WHAT IS GOING ON, NO MATTER HOW INTO THE CITY YOU HAVE BEEN, UM, IN YOUR FOUR, I'M STILL LEARNING THINGS.
SO JUST KNOW YOU'RE NOT ALONE.
IT'S OKAY TO ASK QUESTIONS AND JUST KEEP GOING.
Y'ALL ARE GONNA DO AMAZING THINGS.
OKAY, WE HAVE TIME FOR ONE, MAYBE TWO QUESTIONS.
SO, UH, WE'RE GONNA OPEN IT UP.
'CAUSE RIGHT NOW WE'RE AT 6 57.
WHO HAS QUESTIONS? ANDREW, I SAW YOUR HAND GO UP AND THEN WE'LL DO DANIEL.
I KNOW YOU STARTED OFF ON THE GARLAND LEAGUE COUNCIL VOLUNTEER AND THEN DID YOU BECOME A CITY COUNCIL MEMBER AND LIKE SCROLL THROUGH THE FIELD OF GARLAND OR WAS IT JUST SOMETHING ELSE THAT LED YOU TO DO SO? THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
SO I ACTUALLY HAD NO DESIRE TO BE ON CITY COUNCIL EVER.
IT, IT WAS NOT ON MY TO-DO LIST.
IT WAS A NOT ON A BUCKET LIST.
IT WAS NOT ON THE RADAR AT ALL.
UM, SO I JUST KIND OF KEPT VOLUNTEERING THROUGH THE CITY ON MY OWN.
SO WE DID, UM, TORNADO CLEANUPS AFTER THE CHRISTMAS TORNADO.
UM, AND THEN WHEN WE HAD OUR TORNADO IN 2019, UM, I HELPED ORCHESTRATE VOLUNTEERS TO COME AND HELP WITH THAT CLEANUP.
UM, AND SO AFTER THAT, UM, THE MAYOR SCOTT, THE MAYOR AT THE TIME WAS LIKE, FIRST OF ALL, WHY DON'T YOU JUST, UH, GET ON COUNCIL.
IT'S ALREADY DOING EVERYTHING THAT YOU ALREADY DO JUST WITH MORE RESOURCES.
THEY DID NOT TELL ME ALL OF THE BAD PARTS, BUT THAT'S OKAY.
SO I JUST TELL PEOPLE I GOT BULLIED INTO IT.
UM, BUT IT'S HONESTLY, IT WAS A GOOD, IT WAS A GOOD THING, BUT IT WAS NOT SOMETHING I EVER IMAGINED THAT I WOULD BE DOING.
SO DANIEL, PLEASURE TO MEET YOU.
FIRST OF ALL, I REALLY WANNA SAY THAT, AND SECONDLY, YOU ARE, YOU HAVE THE BUSINESS AND FAMILY DISTRICT, CORRECT.
ASIDE FROM LIKE THE GARDENING PROJECT, WHAT OTHER, UM, LIKE PLANS DO YOU HAVE TO MAKE THINGS A BIT MORE FRIENDLY, FRIENDLY AND LIKE EASIER ON THE KIDS OF THAT AREA AND DISTRICT? OR I'M SORRY, SIX MAN, THAT WAS FANTASTIC.
SO I HAVE A LOT OF, UM, CHALLENGES IN MY DISTRICT, RIGHT? SO I'M VERY FORTUNATE, ONE THAT THE DISTRICT THAT I COVER, I ALSO WAS RAISED IN THAT DISTRICT.
AND SO I KNOW A LOT OF THE LONG TIMERS THAT HAVE BEEN THERE.
UM, BUT SOME OF THE CHALLENGES ARE THAT I HAVE THE LARGEST MULTIFAMILY FAMILY, UM, IN, IN THE CITY.
SO, UM, MY MULTIFAMILY IS ALL VERY CENTRALLY LOCATED AND THEY'RE OLD, OLD MULTIFAMILY, RIGHT? SO, BUT ON TOP OF THAT, THE MAJORITY OF THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE IN THOSE MULTIFAMILY ENGLISH IS NOT THEIR FIRST LANGUAGE.
SO AS A SOCIETY, WE HAVE THIS, AND PROBABLY NOT FOR YOUTH, BUT FOR ADULTS.
AND I'M SURE IF YOU ARE ON SOCIAL MEDIA AT ALL, YOU'LL SEE IT.
THE RENTERS, THE RENTERS, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH, THE APARTMENTS.
AND WE ADULTS HAVE MADE APARTMENT DWELLERS AND RENTERS INTO LIKE THE WORLD'S PROBLEM, RIGHT? LIKE YOU WERE JUST, WHAT IS WRONG WITH THE WORLD? 'CAUSE YOU DON'T OWN A HOUSE, RIGHT? SO I'VE REALLY TRIED TO FOCUS ON MULTI-FAMILY DWELLERS, UM, TO GET THEM, BECAUSE THERE'S SUCH A STIGMA THAT GOES ALONG WITH LIVING IN AN APARTMENT OR BEING A RENTER THAT PEOPLE WILL JUST SAY, WELL, THEY'RE NOT INVESTED IN THE CITY, RIGHT? WHICH IS, COULD NOT BE, COULD NOT BE FURTHER FROM THE TRUTH, BUT MAYBE THEY FEEL LIKE THAT BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT EVERYONE THINKS OF THEM.
SO I'VE, I'VE TRIED FOCUSING ON MULTI FAMILIES TO GET THEM INVOLVED, TO GET THEM IN TO THE CITY IN SOME FORM OR FASHION.
UM, BUT BECAUSE OF THAT, I GET TO RELY HEAVILY ON OUR VIETNAMESE COMMUNITY.
UM, WE'VE GOT AMAZING COMMUNITY LEADERS THAT HELP, UM, TO GO AND TRANSLATE.
UM, AND THEN, UM, THE HISPANIC GROUP HAS COME AND HELP.
SO I FEEL LIKE IF WE CAN BREAK THAT BARRIER WHEN OUR KIDS ARE YOUNGER, THAT WE CAN MAKE THEIR LIFE AS AN ADULT A LITTLE EASIER.
[01:15:01]
YOU'RE AN ADULT AND YOU DON'T KNOW THAT YOU CAN CALL THE CITY, LIKE YOUR AIR CONDITIONER'S BROKEN, YOUR LANDLORD DOES TO FIX IT, A LOT OF PEOPLE JUST GO OUT BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW HOW, WHAT THE PROPER AVENUES ARE.AND SO REALLY JUST TRYING TO GET THE YOUNGER GENERATION INVOLVED IN THE CITY TO KNOW WHAT THE CITY CAN DO, WHAT WE CAN DO TO HELP.
UM, THAT IS A VERY BIG ONE IN MY OPINION.
I ALSO ADVOCATE FOR THE GARLAND POLICE BOXING GYM.
IS THAT WHAT YOU WERE WAITING FOR?
HOWEVER, THE MAJORITY OF THE KIDS THAT GO TO THE BOXING GYM LIVE IN MY DISTRICT.
SO DOES ANYONE KNOW WHAT THE BOXING, THE GARLAND NINTH STREET BOXING GYM IS? NO.
ANYBODY NOT KNOW WHAT IT IS? OKAY, SO THE GARLAND, UH, NINTH STREET BOXING GYM IS RAN BY OUR POLICE DEPARTMENT, UM, MOSTLY DAVE SWAY.
HE'S THE LIEUTENANT WITH, UH, GARLAND PD.
AND THEY GO AND TEACH BOXING TO AT-RISK YOUTH.
SO DAVE SOBE SERVED ON, OR HE WAS, UH, ON THE GANG UNIT FOR GARLAND PD.
AND HE WAS LIKE, THIS IS A PROBLEM.
HOW DO WE DO EARLY INTERVENTION TO GET THESE KIDS SO THEY DON'T END UP HERE? AND SO THAT'S WHEN THEY CAME UP WITH THE BOXING GYM.
IT'S LOCATED IN DOWNTOWN GARLAND.
WE HAVE, UM, ALEX ESPINOZA, HE, UM, HE ACTUALLY WAS AN OLYMPIC TRIAL QUALIFIER.
UM, AND HE WILL TELL YOU THAT THE GYM QUITE LITERALLY SAVED HIS LIFE.
IF IT WERE NOT FOR THE GYM, HE WOULD'VE WENT TO A PARTY WITH ONE OF HIS FRIENDS.
BUT BECAUSE HE GOES TO THE GYM AND HE HAS HIS HANDS ARE REGISTERED BECAUSE THEY'RE GOLDEN GLOVE FIGHTERS, THEY HAVE TO REGISTER THEIR HANDS.
SO ALEX SAID, NO, I'M NOT GONNA GO APPRECIATE THE OFFER.
BUT NO, UM, HIS FRIEND ENDED UP GETTING SHOT AND KILLED THAT NIGHT AT THAT PARTY.
AND ALEX SAYS, IF IT WERE NOT FOR THE GYM, HE WOULD'VE BEEN AT THAT PARTY AND IT WOULD'VE BEEN HIM.
SO I'M A HUGE ADVOCATE FOR THE BOXING GYM AND ALL OF THE KIDS THAT GO THERE.
AND SO, YOU KNOW, GET 'EM, GET 'EM ALL THE GUN.
THESE ARE KIDS THAT OTHERWISE WILL BE OUT BANG, BANGING, AND WE DON'T NEED THAT.
IT HELPS OUR CRIME RATES STAY LOW BECAUSE WE'RE, IT'S EARLY INTERVENTION.
UM, AND HE'S HAD, GOSH, LIKE PEOPLE THAT HAVE COME OUT OF THE GYM THAT ARE NOW DOCTORS THAT ARE WORKING AT NASA, I COULD NEVER, HE COULD NEVER BE MEAN, BUT LIKE HE'S TURNING OUT SOME REALLY GOOD KIDS THAT OTHERWISE THEY WOULDN'T HAVE HAD A, THEY WOULDN'T HAVE HAD A CHANCE.
WE'RE GONNA GIVE WWE A FIRST TIME, A ROUND OF APPLAUSE, BUT I WANNA KIND OF LET Y'ALL KNOW WHAT WE'RE GONNA DO.
WE'RE ALL ALSO GONNA ASK HER TO STAY FOR A MINUTE.
WE'RE GONNA KEEP Y'ALL FOR JUST LIKE TWO MORE MINUTES.
I PROMISE MS. RHONDA IS GOING TO, UH, PUT UP ON SCREEN OUR COUNCIL OR OUR COMMITTEE, OUR, OUR THREE DIFFERENT COMMITTEE ASSIGNMENTS, UH, SO THAT YOU GUYS KNOW THAT.
AND THEN ONCE WE MAKE THAT ANNOUNCEMENT, WE'RE GONNA TAKE A GROUP PICTURE WITH DEPUTY MAYOR PROTIME.
THAT'S ALL WE'RE ASKING HER TO SAY.
BUT WE WANNA BE ABLE TO ANNOUNCE THESE, UM, COUNCIL POSITIONS OR COMMITTEE POSITIONS.
WE'LL TAKE THE PICTURE AND THEN Y'ALL ARE FREE TO GO.
SOUND GOOD? ALRIGHT, LET'S GIVE A ROUND OF APPLAUSE AND IF YOU HAD A, A QUESTION THAT MAYBE YOU DIDN'T GET TO ASK, PLEASE EMAIL US, GYC AND WE ARE GOING TO GET YOU IN CONTACT WITH DEBBIE MAYOR PRO MICHAEL, BE RESPECTFUL.
TITLE, BUT YES, NO, WE WILL DEFINITELY, WE WANT YOU, IF YOU GUYS HAVE QUESTIONS, WE WANNA HOOK YOU UP.
AND SO, UM, JUST EMAIL US, UH, AND WE'LL.