Thirty eight delegates represented Curtis High School at the Junior Statesmen of America Fall State 2014 Conference in Boston.

After weeks of practicing  their debating skills  after school, these Curtis students were ready to partake in debates with other delegates from different schools in the Northeast.

“Weekly debates familiarized the students with the structure and questions presented in the debates,” said Senior JSA President Dominic Ricci.

For many Warriors it was their first time participating at the Fall State Conference in Boston.

“I was a little nervous because I didn’t know what to expect, but overall it was a really exciting educational experience,” said Junior Georgia Howell.

The debates were held in the beautiful ballrooms in the Park Plaza Boston Hotel. The delegates had a broad choice of debates to participate in within each one hour time block. The topics of the debates highlighted modern issues such as politics, feminism and religion. “The topics were very interesting, deciding which debate to go to was always a hard choice,” said Senior Dante Deshauteurs.

Several returning delegates got more involved and stepped up to the podium to represent Curtis. Senior Deidre Fanizzi was selected to moderate a debate about the negative effects of childhood sports. “It was very rewarding to be selected to take part in the debate about a topic I can relate to,” Fanizzi begins, “I feel like I’ve matured from last year after going from watching the debates to actually moderating one.”

Leading the group through their weekend, Mr. Dale, Ms. Antosz, Ms. Gilly and Mr. Fornabio collaborated to make this exciting experience safe and organized. “There are always obstacles organizing a trip, but because we had the biggest delegation ever  and were able to lower the cost of the trip, everything worked  smoothly because we worked together,” said Dale.

Whether it was on the six hour bus ride,  the meals or in the halls of the hotel at night, this was a bonding experience for the delegates as they made new friends and grew closer to fellow Warriors. “It was a great feeling interacting with students outside of Staten Island and becoming closer with the upperclassmen,” said Sophomore Jonathan Strandberg.

The delegates were able to return home with new insight into contemporary issues. “This year’s chapter was the biggest we ever had, and the weekend went exceptionally well,” said Senior JSA President Samara Lugo.  “I was impressed by the participation of students who hardly spoke during meetings but commanded the debates at Fall State.”