Young Republicans and Democrats hold first debate
October 25, 2016
There has been an increase seen in the political involvement of students, and this can be attributed largely to the emergence of the Young Democrat and Young Republican clubs last year.
Created to educate members about political opinions and beliefs, these clubs have drawn interest from a vast population of students. Recently, they teamed up to have a joint meeting and debate issues coming up in the presidential election. The presidents of the clubs got together, researched topics and moderated the debate. Over 100 students were in attendance.
The issues debated ranged from social issues to economic concerns and students from both the democratic and republican sides were urged to give their opinions. There were plenty of opportunities for students to research the topics before they came, but many students who are not as involved attended also.
“There were some people there who were really well educated about some of the topics we were talking about, but I also think some people might have just been there to learn, which I think is just fine, it’s good that people are trying to get involved,” junior Leo Montie said.
The groups have very differing viewpoints on most major issues, but the presidents of both clubs came together and decided that it would be helpful for their members to hear opinions of both parties. This was an anticipated event on both sides and members along with nonmembers showed up.
There was a really good turnout because both of our clubs have been hyping it up for the past month.
— Brian Jaap
“There was a really good turnout because both of our clubs have been hyping it up for the past month,” Brian Jaap, senior and Young Democrats president said.
The goal of the debate was to be friendly and respectful of everyone’s views, and maybe view an issue differently than before.
“Everyone was really civil with each other, which I thought was cool, that people are becoming more mature and respecting of other people’s opinions,” Alyssa Lammers, senior and Young Republicans president said.
The black lives matter topic was one that took up much of the debate and one that students were eager to speak about. The conversation got a bit hectic here, and many were eager to add to it.
“I was very happy to see the people so passionate, especially about that subject,” Jaap said.
The importance for students to be politically educated and involved has proven itself in this past debate. Students could come together, practice speaking and polish opinions based on what other students said and the research they used to back it. With the presidential election coming closer everyday, this behavior could be beneficial to any student eligible to vote.
“This is something that is going to be relevant for your entire life and especially now when some of us are going to be able to vote, knowing who you’re voting for and why you’re voting for them is really important,” Lammers said.
Maddy • Dec 17, 2016 at 9:22 pm
This story was written very well. I think it’s great that this was being talked about because it shows how respectful stillwater’s students are. The topic was huge when this was written and was fresh in everyone’s minds. It’s good that students were able to share their opinions.
Travis Jacosbon • Nov 23, 2016 at 7:38 am
It’s a pleasure to see the first debate went so well. I’m very glad to see so many people showed up and the passion that was there.
Megan Karnuth • Nov 22, 2016 at 11:56 pm
I think it is great how you really capture how important this event is to kids by including size and motives behind both clubs. The quotes you use also demonstrate how passionate the kids were that attended the meeting. Great post!
Sophie Begin • Nov 22, 2016 at 11:29 pm
This article caught my attention because the title was informative yet intriguing. The quotes were very solid and gave a good sense of what took place at the meeting and the atmosphere. There was a balance of quotes from each side and gave a good sense of both perspectives.
jack DeGonda • Nov 22, 2016 at 10:35 pm
I think that it is great that these student political groups are getting so much attention, because not only does it get peoples political views across and give people a voice, it raises awareness to the topics that we think are important and regardless of how the politicians handle it, these groups give a voice to the student body and this article did an effective job of getting that point across.
Ellie Faeth • Nov 22, 2016 at 3:28 pm
Firstly, your vocabulary and writing skills are incredible. Nothing seems redundant or irrelevant. This article was very informative and I will encourage others to read it because politics ARE a big subject at the moment. This article lets students know that they can get involved very easily. Well done!
Kleio Vrohidis • Nov 22, 2016 at 12:47 pm
I really liked this article! I think it provided a lot of information about the debate and the two clubs, along with having quotes that provided lots of detail.
Linnea Phillips • Nov 22, 2016 at 11:58 am
This is a very well written article that shows how both clubs geared up for a fun debate about real issues surrounding the recent election.
Noah Johnson • Nov 22, 2016 at 8:18 am
This caught my attention due to the recent election. I like how you interviewed both young democrats and republicans with great quotes from both. Its good the writer had an even mindset not biasing to one group. All around this is a great article.
Ben Wicklund • Nov 22, 2016 at 7:40 am
I’m glad that students are getting politically interested. The article is well written, no visible grammar or spelling mistakes. It’s interesting and draws your attention from one paragraph to the next. Good job!
Abby Banks • Nov 21, 2016 at 9:34 pm
I really enjoyed this article. It makes me happy to know that young people are getting involved with politics even when their opinions don’t agree with mine. I thought it was great how reflective the quotes were, as well as how civilly the debate went.
Jared Taylor • Nov 16, 2016 at 8:07 am
This was a really well written article. The article flowed really well by giving the reader great facts about the event and what happened followed up by great quotes.
Gabe Wagner • Nov 14, 2016 at 10:26 am
I think that it is very good that we have not only the Young Democrats but the Young Republicans also and that are able to debate with eachother and gain knowledge on political issues at a young age.
Elise Luoma • Nov 11, 2016 at 6:25 pm
I think it is great for young people to get involved in politics, because it creates awareness of what’s happening around us. The creation of the Young Democrats and Young Republicans clubs have allowed students to be involved and the debates create different opinions to be shared.