CHITTENDEN — Flock cameras, immigration policy and school consolidation were among the topics students asked candidates about at Barstow Memorial School’s election fair on Wednesday.
More than a dozen candidates for local and state offices appeared at the school’s sixth biennial election fair, which aims to introduce students to politics and those who may represent them.
“The goal is to give our students the real-life experience of what politics in Vermont looks like, instead of what they see on TV,” said Jamie Gallagher, seventh- and eighth-grade humanities teacher and event organizer. “We get candidates from all different parties, sitting down in a room and interacting with each other, and that sets a really important example for our students.”
Held in the school gym, the event featured candidates at tables students could visit to ask questions about their candidacy, opinions on Vermont’s education system and goals for the next biennium.
Gallagher, who teaches a civics unit before each election fair, said eighth-graders were tasked with studying a candidate of their choosing for a profile project. Sixth- and seventh-graders were assigned a particular type of candidate to interview.
Eighth-grader Frances Cotter said her questions for candidates involved a lower voting age, Flock Safety cameras, and raising the minimum wage.
“Minimum wage applies to me because I’m 14. So, if I get a job and am working towards something, that minimum wage affects me,” Cotter said.
She said she and a handful of other students helped coordinate the event, adding that the process has been fun.
“We called all the candidates ourselves and got to talk to them to invite them all,” Cotter said. “It’s very cool to have them here. We get to talk to them face-to-face. It’s not like you’re reading an article about them. We get to ask our own questions.”
She said students also created the posters that hung on the gym walls for the event, each featuring a classic American emblem or a party name.
Eighth-grader Amara Byrom said that while greeting candidates and showing them to their seats was initially a little stressful, she quickly acclimated to the environment.
“I think (this event) gives us a good idea of what we’re going to see in a few years and what their parents are experiencing right now. I know my dad and mom have been talking about who (they are) going to vote for,” Byrom said.
She said she planned to ask candidates about ICE, universal healthcare and the war in Iran.
“I’ve seen a lot of stuff about ICE on the news,” Byrom said. “My mom is from Cambodia. So, I want to know more about it and how it could potentially impact (people). A lot of the rules being enforced affect people around me — people I know.”
Barstow Principal Bob Myers said the event encourages student learning socially, academically and politically.
“I’ve heard stories from parents that their kids are talking with each other on the phone or however they communicate, saying things like, ‘Did you watch the debate last night?’” Myers said. “Bringing that into their consciousness is so neat to see.”
Students continued their political engagement on Thursday, with two town hall forums hosting Lt. Gov. John Rodgers and challenger Molly Gray.
Students posed questions to each candidate about their vision for Vermont, why they are involved in politics, and why young adults should be motivated to get involved.
Gallagher said he hopes these events foster a sense of political autonomy in students and get them thinking about their decisions and opinions.
“A lot of times, (kids) see the political signs, but they don’t see the people. (So hearing), ‘Oh, that guy came to my school,’ is neat,” Gallagher said.