La Porte’s new mayor, Mark Krentz, paid a visit to La Lumiere’s popular journalism classes Feb. 16 so students there could take part in a mock press conference. Krentz, who has been mayor since August of 2017, spoke last week before two classes, consisting of juniors and seniors studying journalism as part of their writing requirements.
The 34 students were each expected to have 10 questions ready for the local politician after having spent their week researching the caucus that elected him to the office, and the various issues that are important to citizens of La Porte. Krentz spoke to the high schoolers about the unusual way in which he became mayor after the promotion of previous La Porte leader, Blair Milo. “I had three weeks to decide whether to run for mayor,” he said, to their surprise.
Krentz said one of his first actions once he took charge of the municipality was to change the police chief. He also said it was one of the most challenging things he has ever done, and talked about the process of interviewing other candidates, although he admitted that it was “impossible to satisfy everyone.”
As the son of a former city mayor, Krentz was asked if holding the position had always been his dream job. Saying he “knew it was a hard job” for his dad, Krentz admitted that back in college, he actually wanted to work in radio, but that his “family was really excited about [his] being mayor”.
As a final thought, Krentz told the students that they should work on their skills to be good journalists because “the power of listening to people is huge,” something that he’s also learned in his current line of work.
Mayor Krentz is the second person to visit with La Lumiere High School journalism students this semester. The first guest was La Porte attorney Mary Lake, who helped the teenagers learn about First Amendment issues. Last semester, guests to the classes included State Senator Mike Bohacek, who also took part in a mock press conference, as well as newspaper columnist Phil Potempa, South Bend weatherman Matt Rudkin, Amarillo, TX investigative reporter Niccole Kaan, and (via Skype) New York Times sports reporter Allan Kreda.
Documentary producer Pat Wisniewski and magazine publisher Julia Huisman likewise spoke to the eager students about careers in the media business. Also expected to appear before this year’s students later in the semester are newspaper columnist Jerry Davich, and talk-show host Michael Essany, but some guests from last semester will hopefully also return to spend time with the upperclassmen, who are thinking about their own future careers and enjoy getting to know professionals and their experiences in various fields.