If given the chance, Topeka High students would have a lot to say to Sen. Bernie Sanders
[font size="4"font color="navy"]Sanders is expected to speak Feb. 25 during the Kansas Democratic Party’s Washington Days celebration in Topeka. While the exact time and day hasn’t been announced, The Topeka Capital-Journal has confirmed public statements made by state party officials and other reports that Sanders will speak at Topeka High School at some time during his visit.[/font]
Excerpts:
If Kalese Warfield had a chance to talk with Bernie Sanders during his scheduled visit to the capital city in late February, she said, she would thank the U.S. senator and former presidential candidate from Vermont for “firing up the millennials.”
“He brought so many issues to the forefront that are important to us, like afforable college, economic issues — he embraced diversity,” said Warfield, an 18-year-old Topeka High School senior. “Now we’re the future, and we’ll be able to shape the future of our country.”
As members of Topeka High’s race and equity crew, Warfield and senior Carson Denney helped organize a unity march in the halls of their school on Jan. 20, the day of President Donald Trump’s inauguration. That march, they said, was organized to signal that Topeka High students would remain unified after tensions ran high among different groups near the Nov. 8 election.
When asked what he would say to Sanders if he had the chance, Denney said he probably wouldn’t say anything.
“I’d just give him a hug,” he said. “I love Bernie Sanders. Like out of all three of those candidates, if I had to trust one to walk my dog, I would definitely choose him. I just like Bernie Sanders a lot.”
Denney, 17, said it was unfortunate that many of Sanders’ supporters, like himself, were too young to vote. However, he said, he hopes the enthusiasm for economic and social issues that Sanders inspired in young people can be carried into the 2018 elections and the 2020 presidential election.
“I’d probably want to talk to him about what we can do with him in the future,” Denney said. “We would actually have some political influence, not just social media (influence).”
Jordan Large, a junior, said her future looks “a little bumpy” given that she likely won’t be able to afford college. She said she would tell Sanders that anything he could do to make college more affordable would be helpful.
“That would be fantastic,” Large said. “I would definitely go to college if there’s the opportunity. Because it’s not laziness. It’s not that I don’t want to be at school. I love learning. It’s funding that I don’t have. I come from a poor household.”
“I feel like he’s an inspiration. I just look at him and I feel hope. There’s going to be a lot more to come from us these coming years, and we’re just going to keep on pushing forward.”
Kristana Campos said that given the chance, she would thank Sanders for pushing her to be politically active, even though she is still too young to vote.
“He’s someone I look up to a lot,” she said. “I would try to get some insight on what he thinks we should do to better ourselves and our future.”
http://cjonline.com/news/local/2017-02-11/if-given-chance-topeka-high-students-would-have-lot-say-sen-bernie-sanders
