by Nick Kipley
The El Monte City Council Chamber was flooded in a sea of bright orange baseball caps and t-shirts this past Tuesday morning when a group of students from Zhongshanlu Primary School in Harbin City, China arrived for their annual visit. The kids ages varied between what in an American school setting might have been a class of fifth or sixth graders.
Once all the kids had filed in from the busses, speeches were given explaining the roles played by leaders in civic Government by several members of city staff. Vice Mayor Patel and City Manager Godinez both informed the group of students of their roles in the institution, while the kids squirmed in their chairs, watching all the action through an iPhone apiece. A translator was made available for the first set of speeches, but, when asked if the kids were ready to have fun they all unanimously shouted, “YES!”
After that, the organization of the kids into a big, circular tour around city hall and the El Monte Police Department began. At first, efforts were wildly disorganized with the group seemingly more interested in taking photos of everything with their smartphones. But, eventually, the adults were able to wrangle the kids together in big patches and it was clear the that participating staff members had a blast.
First things first though, the group had to be split into thirds so they could be subdivided amongst different civic departments. “Group 2,” was the first to go visit the Police Department and since Sgt. Martinez was handing out a gigantic roll of sticker-shaped deputy badges, the Examiner immediately saw a prime journalistic opportunity.
Soon, every kid had been deputized and they began excitedly re-taking all the pictures they had just been taking, in order to fully capture the excitement of their new badge. Once finally inside El Monte PD, no less than twenty iPhones were held aloft at all times, to capture pictures of the guns, badges and police uniforms proudly upon display on the walls. A young man approached this Reporter from the Examiner with a stack of coupons granting $4 off a car wash and asked, “Excuse me, what’s this?” The young man was patient and courteous with the official explanation given by the Examiner as to what a car wash is, given that this explanation was not limited to pantomiming all the machines in a mechanized car wash: the spinning brushes, the jetting wax, and that big tongue-shaped thing that blow dries your car at the end. The young man very politely said, “Oh, thank you!” and walked off, nodding eagerly. Sgt. Martinez then led the kids outside so they could take some photos of the police cars in the department’s lot.
Next up, the kids visited City Hall where Jason C. Mikaelian of the Economic Development Department showed the kids maps of the city and explained to them the different areas of El Monte and the big projects currently under development. Two young men in the back of the crowd were playing that game that all young men play in fifth or sixth grade where you kick your friend in the butt, and then he kicks you back, and it goes on until the teacher pulls you apart and says, “ENOUGH!”
And even though this reporter for the Examiner doesn’t have a proficiency in Chinese, he is very certain that’s what the teacher did indeed say.
The day concluded with the students standing before the El Monte Statue of Liberty, taking photos in groups of three or four, before regrouping in different groups of three or four. After all the combinations of groups had been exhausted, it was time to get back on the bus and the kids departed for their next stop, taking pictures over everything in sight, smartphones held aloft.
