Many people generalize teenagers as a rebellious bunch who are no longer kids, but are not yet adults. They also generally assume that teenagers are only into videogames and do not have a strong interest in current events. Nevertheless, on Oct. 22, 2012, students from Crescenta Valley High School congregated in the school auditorium after school hours to watch the third presidential debate. As over 300 students filed into the auditorium, there was a buzz in the air.
Junior State of America (JSA), a club, organized this event with the goal of getting students to root for and stand behind their respective candidate. The number of students who came out to the event was greater than expected. Both teachers and officers of the club were astounded by how many students were willing to sacrifice their time to come out and watch the debate.
Eric Kim, president of JSA, said, “I was only expecting a couple students to come out, but seeing that over 300 kids came today, it is sort of uplifting. It is great to know that there are others who actually care who the next president is.” The large turnout added to the excitement as the debate began.
Throughout the debate, the Obama fans cheered whenever the president made a witty remark, and the Romney fans did the same. The auditorium exploded with commotion when the famous “horses and bayonets” comment was made. Throughout the ninety-minute debate, students were able to forget about SATs, APs and other academic worries. Instead, they were able to come together and watch the presidential debate side by side with their peers.
At the end of the debate, the students held their own debate about who they thought had won the debate and who was the better candidate. Although there were many more Obama supporters than those of Romney, the debates were competitive and insightful.
Byung Jun Kim, a junior at Crescenta Valley High School, said, “I went up there and spoke my mind. I didn’t know whether people would agree with what I would say, but I didn’t care. I just had to get my ideas out there.”
The event was an overall success. Entertainment and education were fused together through this debate. The students at Crescenta Valley disproved the stereotype that teenagers do not care about current events, because evidently there are over 300 hundred students who beg to differ.
