[Congressional Record Volume 148, Number 39 (Thursday, April 11, 2002)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E504-E505]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    A TOWN MEETING FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

                                 ______
                                 

                          HON. BERNARD SANDERS

                               of vermont

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 11, 2002

  Mr. SANDERS. Mr. Speaker, I want to take this opportunity to inform 
you about a very important and exciting Town Meeting for Young People 
that I held at the University of Vermont on Monday, April 8, 2002. This 
meeting brought young people together from all over the state of 
Vermont to discuss some of the most pressing issues facing our country. 
Fifteen high schools and youth organizations and about 100 students 
attended this all day event and provided some excellent and well-
researched testimony that I intend, at a later date, to enter into the 
Congressional Record. I want to thank UVM President Edward Colodny for 
welcoming the students to UVM, and I want to thank the University for 
their hospitality. I also want to thank Professor Huck Gutman for 
spending the entire day with the students and me and doing an excellent 
job in flushing out their ideas.
  Let me at this time mention to you who was at the event and some of 
the topics that they addressed. Let me also suggest that other Members 
might be interested in putting on similar events in their congressional 
districts. The young people of this country have a lot to say, and I 
think that it's important for members of Congress to listen to them.
  Following are the names of the students who participated in the Town 
Meeting and their schools or youth organizations: Jessica Walters and 
Falinda Hough from the Lund Family Center discussed problems relating 
to Teenage Drinking; Dan Hill from YouthBuild Burlington discussed 
Affordable Housing issues; Becca Van Hrn, Eli Brannon and Sam Parker 
from Proctor High School talked about ``Free Trade not being Fair 
Trade''; Lee Goldsmith, Greg Howard and Robby Short from Mt. Anthony 
High School spoke about Student ID cards; Ruth Blake from Straight Talk 
Vermont talked about the Teen Expressions Dance Company; Troy Ault, 
Reid Garrow, Stefanie Gray, Danielle Harvey and Andrea Shahan from 
Straight Talk Vermont discussed the Problem of Child Labor, Erica 
Hollner, Katie Kervorkian, Kerry McIntosh and Bethany Wallace from Mt. 
Anthony High School talked about being pen pals with students in 
Pakistan; Matt Alden from the Craftsbury School spoke about Underage 
Drinking; Candace Crosby, Kim Dickenson, Katie Lanigan and Gladys Wong 
from Spaulding High School discussed the issue of Inadequate Financial 
Aid for College; Steph Bernath, Nicolette Baron, Alan Blackman and 
Halie Paradee from Lamoille High School talked about the rights of 
Abenaki Indians in Vermont; Marcia Lo Monoco, Sarah Kunz, Delia Kipp 
and Colin Robinson from Brattleboro High School talked about CLEA-Child 
Labor Education Action and their trip to Guatemala; Joseph Ferris from 
Rutland High School talked about the importance of Amtrak; Sean 
Fontaine, James Nichols and Krystal Turnbaugh from YouthBuild 
Burlington discussed issues related to Juvenile Justice; Katie 
Blanchard, Cady Merrill, Jesse Butler and Stephanie Horvath from 
Rutland High School talked about the issue of Abortion and parental 
involvement; Kelly Green from Craftsbury School talked about the Cost 
of College and the Burden of Debt; Peter Hicks, Kristy Lamb, Brittany 
Hickman, Evan Worth and Nick Smith from Lamoille High School discussed 
Education Reform; Travis Buck from Mt. Abraham High School talked about 
Genetically Modified Foods; Elizabeth Echeverria and Damon Rooney from 
Craftsbury School spoke about Labor Exploitation; Jessica Predom and 
Autumn Rozon from the Boys & Girls Club of Vergennes discussed Teen 
Image issues; Daniel A. May from Rutland High School talked about 
Student Representation on School Boards; Amy Canton, Shana Griffin, 
Ashley St. John and Jamie Walbridge from Spaulding High School 
discussed Graduated License issues; Megan Sullivan, Matt O'Brien, 
Rebecca Emmons, Alex McKenzie and Carson Gazely from Harwood High 
School talked about educational funding and Other Peoples Children-
National Act 60;
  Heidi Neil and Martha Mack from Mt. Abraham High School addressed the 
issue of Teen Smoking; Keith Blow, Jessica Davis, Jessica Oakes, 
Shirlaine Miller and Ruhin Yuridulla from Spaulding High School talked 
about their concern regarding Income Taxes for Student Workers; 
Chastity Norris and Kim Lunna from Mt. Abraham High School gave their 
views on the need for a National Civil Unions; Amy Downs and Anissa 
Coward from YouthBuild Burlington talked about Affordable Childcare; 
Lindy Stetson from Mt. Abraham High School

[[Page E505]]

talked about Drug Testing for Students; Thomas Lamson, Vanessa Hinton 
and Monica Brooks from Spaulding High School spoke about the Attack on 
Individual Rights; Jack Fleisher and Elden Kelly from Mt. Mansfield 
High School talked about Alternative Energy Vehicles; Jonathan 
Edmondson from Rice Memorial High School spoke about Arafat: Leader of 
Freedom Fighters or Terrorist Leader; Tim Fitzgerald from Rice Memorial 
High School spoke about US Aid to Third World Countries; Elizabeth 
Christolini from Rice Memorial High School talked about Bettering 
Education; Rebecca Lee Marquis from Rice Memorial High School talked 
about a Multinational Impact; Timothy Plante from Rice Memorial High 
School addressed the issue of Israel and Palestine: Change of 
Leadership For Progress; Hailey Davis from Rice Memorial High School 
discussed Is NATO Necessary?; and Pierson Booher also of Rice Memorial 
High School discussed the issue of The Arab-Israel Conflict and 
America's Position.
  I am extremely proud of all of the students who attended this Town 
Meeting. I was deeply impressed by their testimony and applaud their 
initiative in seeking to make their communities a better place in which 
to live. Too often, in my view, the media focuses on the problems 
facing young people. As a nation we do not pay enough attention to the 
hard and constructive work being done by millions of students and their 
teachers all across our nation. Let me conclude by thanking all of the 
young people and their teachers for their participation.

                          ____________________