MORNING STAR • ApRIl 1 - 7, 2010
pAGE 37
Youth share their opinions at Youth Forum debate
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The winners of the 2010 Soroptimist International of Seaford Youth Forum, held on Sat., March 27, at Trinity Transport, were, from left,: Molly Cain, First Place; Ashton Bradley, Second Place; Eryn Johnson, Third Place and Mary Copper, Fourth Place. Cain, Johnson and Copper are all Seaford High School students. Bradley attends Seaford Christian High School. Photo by Tony Windsor.
its challenges. “These students do an excellent job,” she said. “The topic being discussed at this forum is difficult. I think they all did a good job. I love listening to these kids as they present their opinions.” Co-chair of the Soroptimist Youth Forum, Nancy Moore, said the forum allows students to return each year prior to high school graduation. “I am impressed with the amount of research the students do before hand. I am really impressed by their responses. It is interesting to watch students who return to the forum and see how they have matured and develop the debates,” she said. At the end of the forum, four student participants were honored. In first place was Molly Cain, who held the title during a Youth Forum held when she was a freshman. Last year Cain garnered a second place ranking. Second place went to Ashton Bradley, an eleventh grader at Seaford Christian Academy. In third place was Eryn Johnson, a tenth grader at Seaford High School. Fourth place honors went to Mary Copper, also a tenth grader at Seaford High School. Cain said she plans to make one final appearance at next year’s Youth Forum before she graduates. “I have fallen in love with the forum,” she said. “This is my third year and I love being able to have an exchange of ideas with other students.” Bradley said she has learned a lot as a
result of the youth forum. “I think it is important to put yourself out of your comfort zone sometimes,” she said. “I think it is great to converse with people I have never even met before.” Johnson, like the other Forum winners, plans to return for next year’s competition. “I think this forum’s really cool,” she said. “I really enjoy how we are given the chance to talk and share our opinions. I will definitely be back next year.” Copper said the Soroptimist Youth Forum is a great learning tool. “This has been a growing experience for me,” she said. “I have learned a lot from my peers and this has been very helpful in learning how to speak publically. I will be back next year.” The top four Forum winners will be presented with cash prizes between $200 and $600 during the annual Soroptimist International of Seaford’s Awards Dinner on June 2, at the Georgia House restaurant in Laurel. Participants in the 2010 Soroptimist Youth Forum were Molly Cain, Seaford High School; Nickole James, Seaford High School; Wesley Wooten, Seaford High School; Brentdy Chavez, Seaford High School; Mary Copper, Seaford High School; Eryn Johnson, Seaford High School; Keona Hughes, Seaford High School; Ashton Bradley, Seaford Christian High School and Keda Dorisca, Sussex Technical High School.
SUDOKU ANSWERS:
A Seaford student has earned 1st place honors in an annual youth debate competition held this weekend. Molly Cain, an eleventh grader at Seaford High School was presented 1st place honors for the second time in the three years she has participated in the annual Soroptimist Youth Forum. The Forum, now in its 15th year, is held at the Trinity Transport facility in Seaford. It is sponsored each year by the local service organization, Soroptimist International of Seaford. The youth forum started in 1995 as part of the “Seaford Festival for Youth” which was held each year as a youthfocused fundraising event for the building of the Western Sussex Boys & Girls Club. Since that time the Soroptimist group has maintained the event as a way to spotlight youth in the western Sussex area. On Saturday, March 27, nine local students participated in the Soroptimist Youth Forum and discussed the topic, “First Amendment Right to Peaceful Assembly; has it been positive for the United States?” To help provide background for the topic, guest speaker Andrew Jackson, CEO of Poor Irishman’s Internet Marketing, Seaford, shared information about the importance of protecting the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights. Jackson used wording from the early 1900’s German Constitution, namely Article 48, which was used by the Nazi’s in 1933 to gain full control over the government process. The article reads, “If public safety and order in Germany are materially disturbed or endangered, the President may take the necessary measures to restore public safety and order, and, if necessary, to intervene with the help of the armed forces. To this end he may temporarily suspend, in whole or in part, the fundamental rights established in Articles 114 (personal liberty), 115 (warrants for house searches), 117 (privacy of postal, telegraphic and telephonic communications), 118 (freedom of the press), 124 (right of assembly and association) and 153 (confiscation and restriction of property.” Jackson used this illustration to point out the importance of these liberties to people in the United States, “Thank God this has not happened to us,” he said. He went on to explain that Article 1, Section 16 protects the right to peaceful assembly. He shared his own participation in the
Sept. 12, 2009, Tea Party March on Washington, D.C. as an example of how important the right to assembly is to the basic freedoms of Americans. “Over 1.7 million citizens marched on Washington, D.C.,” he said. “We exercised our freedom to assemble and took action to protest the out of control spending of the United States government. It was the largest gathering of like-minded people I have ever seen. On that day, in that city I was proud to be an American.” Jackson encouraged the youth participants in the Forum to be proactive in protecting their freedoms. “Protect your right to freedom of assembly. Pay attention to legislation that can erode your freedoms. Be vigilant and proactive to protect your God-given right to stand up and be heard,” he said. The Forum allowed the participants to respond to questions about how the freedom to assemble has impacted the country over the years. Students took the opportunity to provide examples of why they agree or disagree with the ways in which protests have been carried out throughout the United States. The students were then judged on their responses to a variety of questions. Judging this year’s Youth Forum were: Mary Kay Baldwin, fourth grade special education teacher and educational diagnostician at Frederick Douglass Elementary School. She was also Seaford School District’s 2009-2010 “Teacher of the Year.” Karen Breeding, who is in her seventh year as Agriscience teacher at Woodbridge High School. She is also the Woodbridge School District’s 20019-2010 “teacher of the Year.” Gary Zoll, a Seaford Middle School teacher and the 2007-2008 Seaford School District “teacher of the Year.” Zoll is also the president of the Seaford School District’s teacher’s union. Debbie O’Bier, of the Delaware Public Health Department. She is a member of the Acorn Club of Seaford and a member of the organization’s Education Department Committee. Kathi Adams, a member of the Soroptimist International of Seaford, and co-chair of this year’s Youth Forum said she feels the students involved in the program are very impressive. “These young people are phenomenal,” she said. “I am so impressed with their confidence and their overall opinions.” Robin O’Day, a Youth Forum Committee member, said the forum is not without
PUZZLE SOLUTIONS
By Tony E. Windsor