Junior Statesmen of America, NHS Chapter
Visits Washington, D.C.
Panos Melisaris (Senator), Sarah McDowell
(Congresswoman), Ms. Cheryl Conklin (Advisor)
and Ben Smith (Congressman) at the JSA Winter
Congress in Washington, D.C.
In January 2010, the local chapter of the Junior
Statesmen of America (JSA) was established at Newark
High School. This is an organization where
students run the chapter under the guidance of a
teacher/advisor. JSA is currently the largest
student-run organization in the nation with roughly
10,000 participants in 500 schools across 35 states.
The objective is for JSA members to develop valuable
experience and expertise in public speaking,
critical thinking, listening, debating and
leadership skills. The organization provides a
forum for views from the entire political spectrum.
Panos Melisaris (10th grade) is the Founder and
Chapter President and Ms. Cheryl Conklin is the
Teacher Advisor. The other officers and
initial members are: Allaire Strinzinger
(VP), Sarah Sweighart (Treasurer), Nick
Buri (Secretary), Sarah McDowell, Ben
Smith, Andrew Diego, Trevor DeMonte
and Dong Kim.
JSA members from different schools periodically meet
at regional and national conventions a few times per
year and have the opportunity to propose their own
bills, discuss, debate issues, amend bills and
eventually vote for the best bill to become law.
February 26-28, our chapter participated in the JSA
Winter Congress 2010 that took place in Washington,
D.C. The NHS team was represented by Panos
Melisaris (Senator), Sarah McDowell (Congresswoman)
and Ben Smith (Congressman) who presented the bill:
"U.S. shall achieve Energy Independence by 2025".
It was a fun event and great experience for all
participants. "Participating in this event for
the first time, it was an exciting, dynamic and
rewarding experience because we learned how the laws
that affect our lives are created by Congress.
Another benefit was that we managed to build
friendships with students from different states who
share same interests and goals", Panos admitted at
the end of the convention. The three NHS
students appreciated Ms. Conklin's commitment and
support during the D.C. conference. During
this event, there were also fun activities scheduled
on different days: The first day, the students
enjoyed a tour of Washington, D.C. and walked around
the capital. There was also a night dance at
the hotel, organized by JSA, which was a major
success. While our high school participated
with 3 students (first year of participation), there
were other schools that brought up to 105 students.
NHS's objective for the next school year is to
participate with a large number of representatives.
The JSA is a great club to be part of, and all NHS
students are welcome to enroll, participate, propose
their own topics for debating, do fundraising, and
help the chapter organize fun events. We meet
at least twice a month (every other Tuesday) and
there is a Newark Live announcement at school a
couple days before the meeting date.
To learn more about JSA, please see Panos Melisaris
or email him at:
panosm17@gmail.com or drop by Ms. Conklin's
office in Room D111. We look forward to seeing
you soon at our next JSA meeting! Bring your
ideas and your friends!
Panos Melisaris (10th grade)
Newark High School JSA President
