OHS seniors testify in Olympia

On February 12, two seniors from Odessa High School, accompanied by OHS principal Ken Schutz, traveled to Olympia in hopes of testifying before state representatives on House Bill 1412 before the House Education Committee. Kendall Todd and Koralynne Kuch made the trip and, after an hour and a half wait, were called upon to speak.

The two students spoke against the proposed legislation, which would have made community service a graduation requirement in the state of Washington. The bill was sponsored by no fewer than 26 legislators, one of them a former secondary school teacher. Two students from that legislator’s former school testified on behalf of the legislation.

Todd and Kuch said they felt the legislation defeats the purpose of service by making it mandatory. They said local control was a better alternative, with each school district being able to decide whether community service should be required of its students.

The Odessa seniors met with District 13 representatives Matt Manweller and Judy Warnick, as well as the 15 members of the education committee. Manweller had asked for representatives of the senior class to speak on the merits of the bill when it came up for discussion before the Education Committee.

“It was interesting to see the steps to having bills approved or not,” said Kuch. Todd added, “It was a privilege to be able to speak (before the committee.”)

The Odessa contingent left home early Tuesday morning to arrive at the hearing scheduled to begin at 1:30 p.m. After their testimony, the students received a tour of the state capitol building. Of the 20 to 30 people waiting to speak, some never did get a chance to, they said, feeling fortunate that the trip had not been in vain. After a long, busy day, they arrived back home in Odessa at 10:30 p.m., tired but pleased that they had been selected to speak to the committee.