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October 2013 The Junior Statement
Central Valley High School sponsors “Philosophoconâ€? by Andrew Laberee Staff Writer The Central Valley High School &KDSWHU LQ 6SRNDQH :$ LQ 3DFLĂ€F Northwest (PNW) hosted a unique chapter conference that specialized in philosophy debates. As any JSAer will tell you, philosophy forms the framework for most political, social, and even economic debates. For ages, scholars have studied philosophy in order to gain a better understanding of the world around them. From Sophocles to Plato to Kant, the study of philosophy has been crucial in understanding the human experience and rational thought. Philosophocon was held on October 12th in the Inland Empire Region at Central Valley High School. Dozens of students discussed the central tenets of Hobbes, Nietzsche, Machiavelli and Kant while addressing enduring ques-
tions. The debate list included: “Is absolute sovereign power preferential to the state of nature?â€?, “Is taxation by government a form of slavery?â€?, “Was religion created to empower the weak at the expense of the strong?â€? Although most of the debates consisted of more serious topics, attendees agreed that the most popular question of the day was: “Is ‘Bro’ philosophy EHQHĂ€FLDO WR VRFLHW\"Âľ The conference was well attended with a large number of delegates travHOLQJ RYHU Ă€YH KRXUV WR DWWHQG (DVWern Washington University Professor Kevin Decker was the honorary guest speaker. Professor Decker spoke about the eternal relevance of the writings of the great thinkers, especially for the Junior Statesmen who are debating issues of great importance. Andrew Laberee is a homeschooled freshman in Medford, New Jersey in the Mid-Atlantic Junior State and a member of the Renaissance Council Chapter.
From left: Brian O’Rourke, Adrienne Hubbard, and Stephen Fleischman with their Best Speaker gavels. PHOTO COURTSEY OF JOANNA HAMILTON.
New Jersey Region one-day attracts over 300 delegates
Left: Junior Statesmen attend the opening session of the New Jersey Fall-One Day. Right: The Bergen County Academies chapter takes a group picture. PHOTOS COURTSEY OF ANDREW PLOTCH.
by Pablo Ordonez Staff Writer
On October 19, 2013 at Princeton University’s McCosh Hall, the New Jersey Region (NJR) hosted its annual Fall One Day conference at Princeton University. 370 high school students from across the Mid-Atlantic Junior
State debated the most pressing issues of the day. The event also featured an activism fair, where students were given the opportunity to meet with representatives from all sorts of political parties, providing them with a holistic view of geopolitical opinions. As part of the activism efforts, a mock election was also held for New Jersey’s gubernatorial elections: nearly twice as many delegates voted for incumbent governor Chris Christie over
Democratic challenger Barbara Buono. “The New Jersey Region is one of the strongest regions of JSA in the nation, regularly having more delegates at our One Day Conferences than any other region in the country. 7KLV LV D WLPH IRU UHĂ HFWLRQ QRW RQO\ on how far we have come as a region, but also for how we can improve. I am IXOO\ FRQĂ€GHQW WKDW ZH KDYH WKH SRWHQtial to continue to do great things as statesmen and as active citizens,â€? said
the NJR Mayor, Alex Kaunzinger, on the success of the conference. In his closing remarks, Mayor Kaun]LQJHU FKDOOHQJHG GHOHJDWHV WR IXOÀOO their national duties by being involved. Indeed, JSA embodies the spirit of the Constitution––by the people, for the people. Pablo Ordonez is a senior at Miami Lakes Educational Center in Miami, Florida in the Southeast Junior State. He is the Southeast Chief of Staff.