State Sen. David Haley, D-4th Dist., awarded eight Wyandotte County students, two finalists in each high school grade, with almost $1,000 in prizes for their impromptu debate skills during the Senator Haley Youth Policy Debates held recently at Kansas City Kansas Community College Performing Arts Center.
Senior finalists were Gary Enrique Bradley-Lopez and Alex Trobough; junior finalists were Vilmer Alvarado and Royal Sullivan; sophomore finalists were Ivan Bueso and Jackie Williams; freshmen finalists were Angela Carrazco and Michael Kelsay.
“We had such fine USD 500 high school students compete this year. Each participant gave a three-minute speech then one-minute redirect related to current issues of the Kansas Legislature – all, I heard, were impressive,” Sen. Haley said. “We had fun.”
Topics included the 2016 Presidential election; school finance; medical marijuana; body cameras for law enforcement, and several others.
Haley created the event in 2012 as a way to encourage political awareness in Wyandotte County youth. It is open to all current students of the high schools of USD 500 (Harmon High School; Schlagle High School; Sumner Academy of Arts and Science; Washington High School; and Wyandotte High School).
“The ability to rapidly analyze and reasonably articulate an issue in debate is a helpful part of being a successful, engaged citizen,” Sen. Haley said. “This event in particular allows our teens opportunity to express their societal ability and perspective, without necessarily having participated in formal debate and forensics, in front of a community audience and to be paid a handsome amount for a civil ‘shout out’.”
Students were judged by former USD 500 teacher and mother of Sen. Haley, Doris Haley; and USD 500 teacher and community activist Corey Weibel. Coordinator Rosita Pineda served as registrant, moderator and timekeeper. Sen. Haley extended special thanks to his mother, Doris Haley, Weibel, Pineda and especially to Everett Fletcher of the Kansas City Kansas Community College, who assisted with logistics.
Sen. Haley represents the 4th Senate District, which includes four of the five public high schools in Unified School District 500, all in Wyandotte County, Kan. He plans to bring the event back for a sixth year next spring.
