The students have randomly selected their order. Um I will call them up, give you just their um year and the school that they attend and then they will take it away. I will introduce our next speaker. This is Promise. Promise is a senior at Scitec. So I will let him take it away.
>> Hey everyone, my name is Promise Army and um I'll be answering a very important question today. our charter school fair to the public school system. Um, good afternoon Rotary Club members on guests and fellow community members. Before I begin, I would like you guys to do something for me. Close your eyes for
just a moment. Think back to your school years. The hallways you walked every morning, the classroom where you struggled, the ones you didn't succeed, the one you also succeeded, the teachers who saw something in you before you saw something in yourself. Now raise your hand if that was a public
school system. Thank you guys. For most of us it was. Today I would like to address the very and often controversial question. Um our charter school system our charter schools fair to the public school system and are they beneficial to our concerns? My position is very clear. Public tax
dollars should go entirely to public schools. If a parent chooses to send their kids to a charter school outside of the public school system, the money should be privately funded by the parents. Let me explain why. using the four-way the rotary four-way test as our
moral and civic guide. First, is it the truth? The truth is that public schools are designed to serve every child regardless of income, disabilities, language barriers, and behavioral challenges. They are legally and ethically obligated to educate every student. Charter schools are often
presented as public. Um they do not operate under the same obligation. They um limit the amount of enrollments, remove students who struggle academically and behaviorally um and they're not really held to the same transparency standards. Meanwhile,
public schools lose funding every time a student leaves, but their responsibility still remains the same. So the truth is that when tax dollars are divided to charter schools, public schools are weakened and not improved. Secondly, is it fair to this is where the issue
becomes more troubling. Um, is it fair to the students who remain in the public school system where resources are stripped away? Is it fair to the teachers who face larger class sizes when resources are also stripped away? Um, is it fair to the communities whose neighborhood
schools are forced to do more with less? Um, charter schools may benefit some families, but they do so at the expense of many families. Um, a system that benefits a select group of people while undermining the foundation that serves everyone cannot be considered fear. Um
if a parent wants alternative and um chooses and the choice is very important that choice should come with responsibilities. Um public public funds should solve the public school system. And lastly and and thirdly will build goodwill and better
friendship. Strong public schools are one of the greatest and unifying forces in our society. They bring together um students from different background, cultures and economic situations. When funding splits and schools compete for survival, it
creates a division rather than unifying the schools together. It's mainly schools versus school, students versus students and families versus families. Investing fully in public education builds trust. It um strengthens the community and reinforces the idea that every child matters equally, not just
those whose parents can navigate alternative system. This um that is how good will is built. And lastly, will it be beneficial to all concerned in the long term? The answer is no. A weakened public school system hurts students, teachers, communities, and the future
workforce and democracy um itself. A strong fully funded public education benefits everyone, even those without children in school. Um it produces informed citizens, skilled workers, and stable communities. If charter schools wish to exist as an alternative um they
should do so without draining the public the public system that majority depend on. And lastly will it be beneficial to our concern in the long term? The answer is no. A weakened public school system ears students um teachers communities the future workforce and democracy
itself. A strong and fully um funded public school system. It benefits everyone even those with children without schools. And that's all I have to say. Now, once Niles finishes, I'll take the judges outside quickly. We'll deliberate and then we'll come back in to announce the winners.
>> I used to watch this show. Um, some of the students would be familiar with it. It's called Jiu-Jitsu Kaizen. I don't know if the adults would be, but there was this character, his name was Maharaga. He would have a will on his head and when he would fight whoever he's fighting, he would slowly adapt.
Isn't that a testament to our lives itself? How many of you all adapted in a fight in real life? Not a fist fight, but an actual fight, a struggle. We all have. We all have adapted before. My name is Nas Nero, and I'm a senior in
high school right across the street. I go to Scitec. Now, I know some of you may remember me from my panda speech or from my speech on laughter, but honestly, I don't know some of you, but I do know we have something in common. We all had a
challenge we faced in our life before. My biggest challenge was moving from East Rford to Harrisburg and having to adapt. When I was 12 years old, I thought I was the man. I was a little rounder. I was more mature. I was reckless, but I was
happy. For fun, I used to run around the forest in my neighborhood with my brother. We used to play basketball all the time. And I thought I had the best life ever. And one day I had to move, right? I'd moved to Harrisburg. And when I first moved, I felt like I didn't fit in. I had a new environment,
new people, and yeah, I just I felt like I didn't fit in when I started going to school. So, I had a problem. And I don't know about some of you all, but when I have a problem, I tend to look for solutions, right? And it was to adapt. That was my
solution. When we think of adapting, it can be looked at as a positive or a negative, right? because the simulation or adapting because it's the key to growth. Well, luckily we have the four-way test the rotary to tell us whether or not
it's adapting correct or is it wrong or the four-way test ask is it the truth? Is this fair to all concern? Is it biblical and better friendship? And is it beneficial to all concerned? So, let's put adapt to the test to see if it's right or is it possibly wrong?
The first question asked is it the truth and me adapting from East Strawburg to Harrisburg was the truth and it was good for me as well. Hope College Blog Network says without adapting we get stuck in our comfort zones. Adapting
adapting is the key to growth and joy as well. The second question asked is it fair to concern and honestly it wasn't fair to me. I felt like I was forced to adapt in some way. When I started going to school, I didn't have friends. They
made fun of me for how I dressed, for how I spoke, and it wasn't fair to me. How many of you had a click or a friend? Raise your hand if you had a click or a friend group in school when going to middle school, high school. Yeah. Well, I didn't. I didn't until I started to adapt, right? And that actually leads me
to the third question. Does it build good will and better friendship? And I would say yes, it did. when I adapted, I understood the new lingo, the environment. Um, and the next year, me and him were bestest friends once I adapted and understood, yeah, this is
what Harrisburg is, right? >> Amen. >> For the um last question we're asked, is it beneficial to all concerned? And I would say, yeah, I gained a lot socially. I could get a job now. I have
friends now. And I know where to park without getting a ticket now. So that's park. [applause] Yeah. Look at the person on your left and ask them, "Are you ready to level up by adapting?"
Because I know I was. I leveled up. Now, let's go look at the results of the test, right? We asked, "Is it the truth?" I said, "Yes, it was the truth." We asked, "Is it fair?" I said, "No, it wasn't." We asked was adapting building
goodwill and better friendship. I said it was. And then we asked is it beneficial or concern? I said yes it was. I'm going to college uh this year now and it's scary cuz I know I'm going to have to adapt. I'm going to have to change again. How long have you guys
been scared to adapt and change? But [snorts] it's okay. You don't have to be scared anymore because the four-way test says adapting is just fine. Thank you all. >> But our third speaker is Caroline and she is a junior at John Harris as well.
>> Hello fellow Rotary members. All my life I've been surrounded by immigrants. My family, friends, neighbors, nearly everyone around me came from a different country. When I was younger, I never noticed any of these differences. That was the skin color, the languages that were spoken. I
believed we were all equal. It wasn't until I grew older and became more aware of race and background that I realized we are all truly different. One thing that stood out to me the most was how hard immigrants worked. I've watched people work long hours, multiple
jobs, they often earn very little. I know this because I've seen it firsthand. While many Americans work stable jobs, vacation days and benefits, immigrants like my mother and father, they didn't have that that specialty. They often sacrifice comfort and
security for opportunity, especially for their children. This brings me to my topic today, work-based immigration. Work-based immigration is a legal pathway that allows foreign nationals to live and work in the United States temporarily or permanently based on job
skills, education, or employer sponsorship. Each year, approximately 140,000 employmentbased immigrant visas are issued in the United States. They help fill labor shortages and they support economic growth. Today, I will apply the Rotary four-way test to
determine whether work-based immigration is beneficial to American communities. The first question of the Rotary four-way test asks, is it the truth? The truth is that the United States relies heavily on immigrant labor. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics,
immigrants make up a significant portion of workers in industries such as agriculture, construction, healthcare, technology, fields that consistently face labor shortages because there just isn't enough workers to go around. For example, immigrant healthcare workers
serve as doctors, nurses, caregivers, and technicians, while immigrant engineers and sciences drive innovation in technology and medicine. These facts demonstrate that work-based immigration isn't something to be worried about, but it's a necessity rooted in economic reality.
They promote economic innovation and discoveries that help the United States rather than harm them. From my own experience, I've seen immigrants take jobs others often avoid, such as cleaners and agriculture or farm workers. They work long hours. They have
physically demanding work and they get limited recognition, but they show up every single day and they make changes in their community by serving as these jobs that are really important to the backbone of our society. The truth is that work-based
immigration supports the American workforce rather than replace it. The second question asks, is it fair to all concerned? Workplace immigration is fair because it benefits both both immigrants and American communities. Immigrants gain legal opportunities to
work, support their families, contribute to society, and build a better life for them and their kids. In return, American businesses gain skilled and dependable workers that benefit them in the market. Some argue that immigrants take jobs from US citizens. However, research
consistently shows that immigrant workers often fill labor gaps rather than displace American workers. In fact, by supporting businesses and increasing productivity, immigrants can help create jobs overall. Fairness also means recognizing effort.
Immigrants pay taxes. They follow the law and contribute to social security even when they themselves might not receive the full benefits. The balance of contribution and opportunity reflects fairness for all parties involved. The third question asks, will build
goodwill and better friendships? Work-based immigration fosters goodwill by encouraging cultural exchange and mutual understanding. When people from different backgrounds work together, they learn from one another and break down stereotypes that were set for them.
America won't be America without the immigrants. After all, the first Americans were settlers from Europe. I've seen friends formed between different people who speak different languages and come from different cultures. They are bonded by shared goals and experiences, including
mine. Me and my best friend are both immigrants. She's from Guinea. I'm from Dominican Republic. Despite all of our differences, we've been friends for 12 years now. These relationships strengthen communities. They create empathy and decrease societal prejudice overall. When immigrants feel welcomed and
valued, they're more likely to invest emotionally and socially in their communities. The sense of belonging builds trust, cooperation, and goodwill across all cultural lines. The final question asks, is it beneficial to all? Work-based
immigration benefits the economy, businesses, workers, and communities. Immigrants contribute billions of dollars in taxes. They increase consumer spending, and they help stabilize essential industries. They also bring innovation. Many major American companies, including Google and Tesla,
were founded or co-founded by immigrants or their children. These contributions benefit everyone, not just immigrant communities. While challenges exist, such as ensuring fair wages and preventing worker exploitation, these issues can be addressed through stronger labor protections rather than
eliminating work-based immigration altogether. Work-based immigration is a system that allows skilled workers and hardworking individuals to contribute legally to the United States while helping American communities thrive. After applying the Rotary four-way test,
it is clear that work-based immigration passes. It is grounded in truth, fair to all involved, promotes goodwill and understanding, and is beneficial to society as a whole. As someone who has witnessed the dedication and sacrifice of immigrants workers firsthand, I
believe today's work-based immigration topic does not weaken America, but it strengthens it. And in today's climate, choosing to recognize that matters more than you think. As Bad Bunny said most recently, the only thing more powerful than hate is love. Thank you for
listening. [applause]