While discussing legislation and policy, members of Diamond Bar High School’s Junior State of America Debate club had the chance to receive advice from a California state senator.    

Senior co-presidents Pablo Martinez and Marisa Umeh, junior vice president Hamzah Daud, senior treasurer Jonathan Lewin and sophomore Ryan Lou participated in the JSA Winter Congress at the Warner Center Marriott in Woodland Hills on Feb. 24-25.

The competition consisted of students playing roles in a mock Senate and House of Representatives, mirrored after the U.S. Congress.

“In order to win, you have to be persuasive and speak in a manner accessible and clear to other people, working to sway the perspective of the room,” Martinez said.

At the competition, State Sen. Henry Stern (D-Canoga Park) discussed gun control, the power of youth activism and his goal to lower the voting age to 16.

“Especially with how the current fight for gun control has been led by people my age, I was inspired by the topics he talked about,” Umeh said. “After attending, it made me realize how crucial the leadership positions I hold [are] and the potential that us as a collective youth have.”

During the competition, each student worked to get their ideas and bills passed by persuading those voting. The DBHS students all played senators in the event, speaking to pass certain bills, and voting on others. Awards are given based on student votes on speaking quality and presentation of the bills and ideas.

In the weeks before the tournament, JSA members familiarized themselves with U.S. politics by studying the dynamics between the Republican and Democratic parties and the role the parties play in passing laws. The club focuses on teaching its members the basics of debate, and how to apply their speaking skills to political and practical situations.

“We knew that the current division within the U.S. would be a central issue this year, so we focused on that,” Martinez said.

While the members of the club did not gain enough votes to win awards, they said that they were not discouraged from competing in the future and recruiting more club members.

“Our preparations were lacking this time,” Daud said. “We should’ve done studied the bills in more detail, and done more than just show up.”