The city of Rockville recognized Joyce Tian during the Mayor and Council meeting Monday. Tian is the winner of a statewide contest, “If I Were Mayor, I Would…” for District 5. She will serve as “Mayor for the Day in Rockville” on Thursday, May 25.
The contest is sponsored by Maryland Municipal League in partnership with the Maryland Mayors Association and Chesapeake Employers Insurance. Fourth grade students are asked to submit essays which were judged by a team of municipal officials based on: essay relation to contest topic; displayed knowledge about municipal government and the role of a mayor; creativity; and proper use of grammar.
The theme for the contest this year was Preserving the Past to Power the Future and students were asked to write about making communities more accessible, honoring historic buildings, and fostering a sense of community.
Tian read her winning essay during Monday’s meeting, which may be viewed on the city of Rockville website.
On Thursday, May 25, Tian will report for duty as “Mayor for the Day in Rockville”. Tian will start her day at City Hall in the Mayor’s Office, receive a guided tour of the Rockville City Police Department followed by a Police Ride-Along, then be escorted to Rockville’s Department of Public Works (DPW) Large Equipment Show at Mattie J. Stepanek Park at 1800 Piccard Drive. The DPW Large Equipment Show is open to the public and children will be able to climb on the equipment and machinery. After the show, Joyce will receive a tour of the Croydon Creek Nature Center and then return to City Hall for lunch with Mayor Newton.
Tian also will take part in the city’s longest-running special event on Monday, May 29 when she rides in the 79th Annual Memorial Day Parade.
Joyce Tian’s essay
“If I were Mayor there would be a lot of traditions, beliefs, and events I would keep and try to get more people to uplift, honor and celebrate. Like Lunar New Year, International Night, and Rockville Pride because they are all about celebrating different types of races, culture, and beliefs. Or other events like the September 11 Remembrance Ceremony, Veterans Day Ceremony, and Memorial Day Ceremony and Parade, because they all honor people who have served for us or our freedom. There are also events like Rockville Farmers Market because it lets people buy fresh fruits, vegetables, plants, flowers, and much more.
“Although there are some things I might want to change, for example: Independence Day because if you look at the Rockville Website and watch the video for Independence Day the event goes from 7-10pm according to the website. If you watch the video you might see that there are houses in the background, so the problem is that yes the people outside watching fireworks and listening/dancing to music might be having fun. But the people nearby might be trying to sleep. So my proposal is that they do it somewhere where they will not disturb anyone like a football stadium.
“People might not like this idea and I would listen to why and try to come up with a solution that works for our community. I want the best for Rockville and I think this will be a solid starts.
“Thank you for taking the time to read and listen to my essay. I hope you enjoyed it.”
