By Jose Jovel and Emely Villanueva
On Tuesday, Aug. 22, several Pueblo High School students, accompanied by counselor Dr. Teresa Toro and Principal Frank Rosthenhausler, were invited to listen to a political spectrum involving Arizona State Representatives Raul Grijalva (D) and Juan Ciscomani (R).
The event, hosted by the Tucson Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, was located at the Pima Community College Aviation Center, and was moderated by Ms. Karla Morales.
Although several high schools were invited to the event, Toro said that only Pueblo High School students were present. Several members of the PHS Alumni Association were also in attendance including PHS Class of 1990 Ms. Adelita Grijalva.
“This event gave our students an opportunity to listen to bipartisan discussions regarding several issues related to Southern Arizona,” Toro said.
Issues discussed included the Arizona economy, border issues, education, DACA and avoiding a government shutdown if a budget deal cannot be reached by the end of the month. Both representatives had many differences, but the event was respectful and civil.
Pueblo’s Student Body President, senior Alexia Moreno, said, “I was a little nervous about speaking publicly and asking questions, but I was happy that my voice came across and that I didn’t panic. I think I sounded confident and enjoyed the experience of speaking in front of a lot of important people.”
Another student, junior Mariana Martinez said, “I think it was a great opportunity to see Raul Grijalva and Juan Ciscomani in one room—a democrat and republican working together to put Arizona together and to represent Arizona as a whole in Congress when they return to Washington, D.C.,” said junior Marianna Martinez.
Esmeralda Almazan, a junior, said, “Education wasn’t discussed as much as I had hoped. Giving education more funding is an investment for the future. The more money given to public education today equates to more money coming back tomorrow.”
Senior Marcos Figueroa said, “I really enjoyed meeting Representative Grijalva and his daughter, Adelita. I was hoping that more issues regarding education were discussed at this event. Arizona needs some serious help in this department.”