With all of our focus on the Government Shutdown, some of our future leaders in Lancaster are learning a real-life lesson about politics.
Lancaster Mayor Rick Gray and Republican Mayoral Candidate, Charlie Smithgall, take questions from a panel of students on the McCaskey East High School stage.
The students are in the Civics and Government class.
Moderator, Therese Deslippe says, “It gives the candidates a chance to see that people did come out and youth are worried and want to be informed in their city.”
Deslippe says the town hall debate is a learning tool.
“As youth, we don’t get to vote, but the policies are always effecting us, especially because we’re the future generation you could say,” says Deslippe.
A Government shut down is an issue students don’t want to see in their future. So they asked the candidates who’s to blame.
Candidate Smithgall says, “I don’t care if you’re Democrat or Republican, it’ the good of everybody to solve the problem.”
Mayor Gray says, “They used the Federal Government as a form of blackmail because they don’t like Obamacare.”
Senior Jose Valentin registered to vote last March. “I did it because I wanted to have a say with how the Government ran and when I took this class I realized I knew more how my say was actually going and how much I could actually get done.”
After the debate, students voted in a Mock Election for the candidate they want to see win in November’s election.
The results will be announced Thursday morning at school.