Every year, the juniors have to write a Voice of Democracy paper. The purpose of this paper is for the students to voice why they believe their vote matters. The Veterans of Foreign Wars are the sponsors.

Mr. Smith is the advisor for this since his American History students write this paper. He taught the purpose of voting, as well as emphasizing that not every country has a voting system. “It’s a great way to involve the community. It’s a great respect to the men and women who served us,” he says when asked about the importance of this paper.

However,  this year Mrs. Donovan also contributed. Students in her English III classes learned how to properly structure this essay. “I was helping the students strengthen their writing skills, as well as understand the purpose of the essay,” she says.

The papers were due to the V.F.W. by November 1st for judging. The winners were announced on December 23rd. Lindsey Averbeck came in first place, Megan Cook in second, and Bailee Beck in third. Each student was asked what their inspiration was for writing such a powerful message. Averbeck said, “Many students in our class will be able to vote next year, so voting seems real to me.” Cook said, “Gulshat telling me about her country and politics was my inspiration. I’ve also seen so many people taking voting for granted; that their vote doesn’t matter.” Beck said, “I’ve had some experience with voting in mock elections. I want to be the first person in my family to actually vote since my parents don’t vote.”