Elon University seniors taught a North Carolina civics lesson to an honors social studies class at Cummings High School on May 10. The lesson focused on the state’s Sunshine Laws, laws that deal with open meetings and public records. The Elon communications students worked with the Sunshine Center of the North Carolina Open Government Coalition to develop teaching materials they hope will eventually become a teacher’s resource for grades 9-12.
Professor Vic Costello, who has served as a mentor to the Elon seniors, said teaching the students at Cummings brought the project full circle. “This course was designed to use the tools of communicators, like video, to provide high school students with a better understanding of the state’s open meetings and public records laws. Students produced a 10- minute video that walked students through the law and illustrated its importance with a real life case scenario.”
The video, hosted by two communications majors, begins with an explanation of the phrase Sunshine Laws and then visits with Town of Elon Mayor Jerry Tolley about how the city respects the open meetings laws. The Elon town council has only gone into a closed session once since 1982. Not every community is so open, and the video includes an interview with Chatham County resident Gretchen Lothrop, who recently won a court decision against the county’s Board of Elections for violating the open meetings law.
After watching the video, students went through four hypothetical case scenarios where they had to apply the law. Students asked questions about when a record could be legally closed and were surprised that the vast majority of government documents should be made available upon request, including e-mails and photographs. One student said, “I didn’t realize that the city council should never eat dinner together at a restaurant because when they get together, it’s a meeting.”
After today’s lesson, Cummings High School students took a test and scored well. A recent Elon Poll found that young people are less aware of open meetings and public records laws. The educational materials being developed are designed to improve that awareness and improve students’ understanding of how they can participate in local government.
Elon University’s School of Communications became home to the Sunshine Center of the North Carolina Open Government Coalition earlier this year and is dedicated to educating North Carolinians about open meetings and public records laws.