Leadership students Lexy Riddle and Hanna Carroll look through archives.

(Clinton, KY) Sixteen sophomores, ten girls and six boys, visited local museums, a history center and Civil War site on Tuesday. The sixteen are the newest leadership class to be sponsored by the Hickman County Chamber of Commerce.

Students visited Columbus Belmont Park and toured the Civil War Museum located on a hill overlooking the Mississippi River.

Then it was on the Hickman County Museum and the Hickman County Historical & Genealogical Society. Students spent time looking through the Society's archives, finding pictures of family members.

"Look at Grandma's hair!" was overheard more than once.

Sponsor Beverly Hopkins, the school system's outreach program director, waited patiently for students to find her picture in the archives.At right, Hopkins tells students tales of "when I was in school" as they read newspaper clippings.

She says every year students remark on her bouffant hairdo. Students found wedding photos and newspaper announcements before breaking for pizza.

Then it was back to their regularly scheduled school day.

The Leadership Class visits agricultural businesses, local banks and city and county officials as part of their course. Teams of students are expected to solve a local problem and present their findings at a graduation program in the spring. The presentations are evaluated by independent judges and awards given to the best.

The Chamber of Commerce program is supported by local donations and cooperation with the Hickman County School Board and the UK Extension Service. Students are expected to make up any class work missed on days they spend working on leadership.