On Thursday, October 10, from 5-8 p.m., Simi Valley Chamber Of Commerce sponsored a non-partisan event to present the candidates for general election of Simi Valley and California, which took place in the Simi Valley Cultural Arts Center. Voting will take place on November 5, to which citizens of Simi Valley can make their first step to what they believe is better for their city and state of California. Moderators for this event were Park Recreational District member as well as history teacher, Brian Dennert and Bill Klepper. Audience members were available to send their own questions for candidates to answer. Most importantly, Highlanders had the opportunity to volunteer for this event in exchange for four free Brown Bag Lunches for a step forward for their CSI Diploma Seal.
As students arrived at 4:30 p.m., they were told to meet the candidates and sort questions based on which questions seemed the most important to them. The candidates ran for various positions from The Simi Valley School District, Ventura County Community College District, Calleguas Municipal Water District, Mayor for Simi Valley, California State Assembly (District 42), California State Senate (District 27), and finally United States Congress (District 26). The forum officially started at 6 p.m., to which candidates of different sections debated different questions. Two students sang the National Anthem, and the crowd heartily sang as well, setting a wholesome energy in the room. Students were invested throughout the entire ordeal, further learning different aspects of what runs a city and state, with different guiding principles clashing in the middle.
When Dennert was asked about his thoughts about the student presence in this event, he shared, “Our students did amazing! From singing the national anthem, to timing candidates, to choosing the questions for the night, our students showed civic engagement. It was an honor to support their involvement,” showing how crucial it was for students to take part in events such as these to display courage and learn for future endeavors. Senior Anjali Nakkala, one of the students who ran the student parts of this event, spoke out about her thoughts about how this event was executed . Nakkala shared, “It was a great experience for both me and the other students to engage with our candidates and gain a deeper understanding of their platforms and beliefs. The event gave us valuable insight, allowing us to ask critical questions that highlighted key issues.”
The Candidate Forum was an amazing opportunity for students to volunteer and earn Brown Bag Lunches towards taking a small part in benefitting their whole city. Not only did it teach them courage and learn about what can be the future for Simi Valley, but it also taught them how important it truly is to have a strong student presence in events such as this, as students are the guiding force in future efforts.
