JSA – Junior State of America

The Junior Statement – January 2012

Interviews with Congressman Dave Reichert, Time Magazine columnist Joel Stein and Nobel Prize winning activist Jose Antonio Vargas.

Commentary on Rick Santourm and liberty.

Saturday December 3^rd, 2011 marked the first Southern California Junior State chapter conference of the year! Held at Burbank’s John Burroughs High School, the event was a rousing success, hosting nearly 50 attendees and showcasing the message and workings of JSA to all who were present. Lead by John Burroughs High School’s phenomenal chapter leaders, namely Alec Villalpando and Grant Crater, this chapter conference featured a myriad of debates ranging in subject from the nature of one’s sexuality to the difficulty of teenage life in America today. Read the full story

By Anthony Kayruz

Over the course of history, individuality has functioned as a sort of inner luxury: desired by most yet acquired by few.  Prolific writers such as Ralph Waldo Emerson and John Stuart Mill have encouraged the pursuit of self-reliance and praised the sovereign spirit as the epitome of mankind.  However, in modern times, the needs of the many – advertised by the media, described by politicians, and depicted by images – seem to demand that Americans pocket their personal pursuits in exchange for the “overall good” of society.  Read the full story

By: Karthik Palaniappan

Ah, Congress. It’s approval rating sits below 10%. The American people are fed up with politics as usual on Capitol Hill. They want results—a reduction of the debt and a jolt to the economy. What does Congress do? It creates a “super committee” to deal with this problem. Read the full story

By Nikhil Goyal

The United States education system really sucks. We continue to toil in a 19th century factory-based model of education, stressing conformity and standardization. This is all true even though globalization has transformed the world we live in, flipping the status quo of the labor market upside down. The education system has miserably failed in creating students that have the dexterity to think creatively and critically, work collaboratively, and communicate their thoughts. Read the full story