The City Hall Auditorium is set up for the debate, 7 chairs set at a long table with microphones hooked into large speakers. Row after row of chairs lined the main floor for concerned citizens to come and participate in the proceedings. The candidates are asked to arrive promptly and each place is marked with a place card, arranged in alphabetical order by last name. Once the appropriate time comes everyone is asked to be seated.
The Emcee takes her place at a second small table with a bunch of flash cards in her hands. The microphone makes a feedback sound.
"Welcome to City Hall for tonight's debate! We are starting out with seven candidates but before the night is over there will be only 3! Whoever is elected will represent you on the City Council so choose carefully."
Posted: Sun Apr 07, 2013 12:09 am
Candidates:
Candidates, your job in the debate is simple. Each voter/helper gets to ask you 1 question each. Candidates must answer each question. You may answer as they come, quoting the asker or you may answer all at once at the end before the deadline. Either way all answers must be given by Sunday at 11:59PST.
Your goal is to persuade the population to side with you. You want to be elected, right? So take whatever approach you like to do so. Lie, slander, tell the truth - whatever you think will buy you the most votes!
You guys are deciding to get politically active - good for you! You have a pretty simple job, too! Your job is to ask 1 question that each candidate will answer. You may ask the candidates whatever you feel is relevant or important to your character and once the questions are answered you will be choosing which candidate you would like to support.
All questions must be asked by 8:00p PST to allow candidates some time to answer. If you do not ask a question you will be forfeiting this chance to get to know the candidates.
In the end you will be choosing a candidate to follow. The field will be narrowed down to 3 from 7 so this is an important time for you guys! Good luck!
Bluefire Dragonz
Parue
Iris_virus
_ p a o cx
litian
Guine
moonlit-raven
Sleet Tempest Snape
o-Nessy-o
Indubitably
Kaelyndra
DivineSaturn
Posted: Sun Apr 07, 2013 12:25 am
The first part of this ORP is OPEN! Good luck Candidates and thank you Campaign Workers!
Sierra was incredibly, incredibly nervous. Ms. Avery had given her a lovely little tailored suit almost the color of her eyes so that the Knightside pre-graduate could assist the older woman's campaign in proper style. Sie had even asked her mother to help braid her hair that morning so instead of the unruly mop of auburn curls, threaded with beads and colored with pastels, it hung neatly like a proper young lady's should. On her wrist was one of the many bracelets she had personally created in order to support Avery Hollister.
Stepping up to the mic, it was Ms. Hollister that plum eyes fixed themselves for confidence to ask the question printed with exquisite care on an overlarge note card. Licking her lips before speaking, her twelve-year-old voice was loud and clear.
"I am a student in the Destiny City School District. Our schools do not have the money for the same ..." She paused on the big word. "Advantages as schools like the Horizon Institute, Crystal Academy, or Azure Valley do. What steps will you take to make sure that our local public schools can keep parents sending their children to them?"
If a twelve-year-old wrote that question then she really didn't belong in the public school system, with her level of political awareness! Yet it did reflect an issue that concerned the girl and hearts were touched at how adorably proper she looked. Point for Avery Hollister?
Posted: Sun Apr 07, 2013 9:44 am
o-Nessy-o
"I am a student in the Destiny City School District. Our schools do not have the money for the same ..." She paused on the big word. "Advantages as schools like the Horizon Institute, Crystal Academy, or Azure Valley do. What steps will you take to make sure that our local public schools can keep parents sending their children to them?"
It was an exciting day. The 2013 Debate! Of course, it was just for the city council, but any opportunity to watch local government, and more specifically, the public, in action was fascinating. Avery Hollister had selected a light, silvery pink blouse that made her feet lovely, a high waisted dark skirt, and a dark jacket to balance it all. Heels would be hidden by the table of course, but when she was able to meet and greet those in the auditorium, they would look wonderful. Besides the simple watch she almost always wore, her only jewelry were two diamond studs in each ear and a home-made bracelet advertising her candidacy.
Shifting forward in the third seat behind the candidate's table, one of Avery Hollister's [according to her place card] manicured fingers touched the microphone and adjusted it in one smooth movement before her accented voice was heard through the auditorium.
"Good evening, Destiny City," The brunette turned her friendly smile on both the audience and the moderator, "Thank you all for being here with us," before it focused in on one small, professional young girl. "And thank you for your question."
Her smile faded into a more serious expression as she considered the issue, brow furrowing slightly as she answered:
"To say that the City should give more funding to our public schools, while true, would be unrealistic and incomplete. What is necessary is a reminder of just how important, how vital, public schools are to a community. Any community that wants forward thinkers, problem solvers, future leaders, and good samaritans needs to invest in their local, public schooling. School should not come with a price tag, and those that can't afford the bill shouldn't be left with bargain bin education.
Too often, it's forgotten that school educates in more than facts and figures. It teaches our children about the world, what they can expect from it, who inhabits it, and how to interact with them. The decision my own parents made to enroll their children in public schooling throughout our youth has contributed to our broad-minds, creative thinking, and awareness of the diversity in class, ethnicity, nationality, gender, orientation, religion, and history of the people around us, and why that is an important thing to preserve.
There are resources out there for our public schools and changes to be made to keep them effective and safe for today's students. Those resources are in the form of grants to fund teaching that encourages project-based learning, cooperative learning, integrated studies, and - importantly - comprehensive assessment of our children's efforts to learn.
Technology and funding for after school programs can easily be sponsored by local business partnerships, who in turn can offer reality-based teaching assistance in the form of internships or coming into our classrooms to share their expertise.
We need to remember that children in public schools and their families are the majority of our population, and that investing in them is a surefire way to invest in the future.
By electing me as your city councilwoman, you're voting for someone that will push to make those advantages available to your schools and your children. Someone who will reach out and act as a bridge between local and state resources to show them the benefits of supporting education opportunities for all of our youth. Someone who wants to see everyone," She offered Sierra another wide smile, "With the tools for success."
"Wow, that was like, a really smart answer," a stunned Ms. Haley Jones beamed to Avery. "Man, I would like, totally vote for you."
s**t, that was a dumb thing to say. It was time to backpedal. She was a politician now, or something, so she needed to get used to that.
"I mean, I wouldn't cause you know, I'm better," she said, giving her best Kanye shrug. "But for this whole education thing, I don't know! I mean, do we really even need schools?"
She thought for another moment.
"Wait, what the hell am I saying, of course we need schools. Where else are you going to make friends as a kid? And like, the learning stuff, too, is important. And all that stuff that she mentioned," she continued to ramble, pointing at Avery.
"I'm not even high right now," she unknowingly thought aloud.
"But to make sure we can make public schools more appealing than private schools, we can like...," she paused, stalling for time as she waited for an idea. After five seconds of dead air, she slapped her podium with excitement. "I KNOW! We can like, remove the option of private schools. Take down the man at the top and equal out the lower classes. We can burn the private schools down!"
"You know, not when the kids are inside. Obviously."
Haley grinned. She was smart, too.
Posted: Sun Apr 07, 2013 10:03 am
Ian had made sure to get a seat in the front, so that he would be able to see what was going on without having to worry about his height getting in the way. That was one of the bad things about being short.
He tapped his fingers impatiently, eager for things to get started. There were so many things going on, and he couldn't wait to hear what the candidates were going to say. Especially in response to the questions that they were supposed to be answering.
It had taken him a while to decide on his question, as there were just so many things to ask about, and all of them would have been important, but he had eventually settled on one of them. Just one question for all of them. He had thought about individual questions but he had decided that it would be better if he just asked one, so that he'd have something to compare them to. If only he wasn't limited to just one question.
He bounced up in down in his seat, waiting for the moment that he'd be able to ask. It wasn't long before the emcee spoke, welcoming the candidates and the guests, and informing them that after tonight, only three candidates would be continuing. That was going to make things tough.
Before he had a chance to speak though, a younger girl spoke up, asking her question. It was a good one, and it would be interesting to see just how the candidates responded.
Except that the woman who spoke up, Avery Hollister, answered that far too... well, he wasn't sure what the word was, but if that wasn't staged, he'd give up soda for a week. He didn't mind staged questions, it was clearly something the candidate wanted to speak about, but he just couldn't agree with everything that she had said.
And he'd bet anything that she didn't include Hillworth in that equation. Maybe he was biased, about that at least, having been accepted by the Horizon Institute after being expelled for something that wasn't his fault, but at least he was honest about it. Relatively so anyways.
The second speaker was amusing, and he resisted the urge to laugh. It was obvious she hadn't planned that out, and he respected that, though he wasn't sure if she should have a place on the city council. He'd have to wait and see how she responded to everyone else's questions.
Then it was his turn. The teen wasn't as nicely dressed as the first girl had been, wearing only a button down shirt and a nice pair of slacks, but that didn't bother him. He took a deep breath, and then spoke, asking his question. "What do you feel is the most important issue that you're supporting and why?"
If his teachers could make that into one question, so could he, as it was really the motivation behind it that he was interested in. Hopefully they'd have interesting answers, if not true ones.
"Thank you," Avery flashed Haley an equally surprised grin, her delighted laugh visible, but shielded from echoing loudly through the auditorium by a hand that kept its vibrations from the microphone.
Hadn't she gone to Kess' birthday party? Yes. Haley had been the creator of the terrifying veggiecake. She would make a note to give Ms. Jones a Vote for Hollister bracelet after the debate, and maybe they could laugh some more about her plans for private schooling.
While Avery wasn't an arsonist, the idea itself, of doing away with private institutions, was salvageable.
Posted: Sun Apr 07, 2013 10:17 am
moonlit-raven
"What do you feel is the most important issue that you're supporting and why?"
Avery would have refused to enter the hall before she'd show up to a televised debate unprepared to answer questions about her own platform. Any of the serious candidates should have at least practiced prior to their arrival. The brunette calmly waited for the others to answer Sierra's question, watching, listening, smiling when she agreed or something amusing was said, and scanning the audience.
The second question of the day was not as specific as the first, and didn't require as detailed of an answer, and so she glanced down the table, and when no one immediately spoke up, addressed the young man.
"Education is an important issue, but I would say that the majority of my platform can be contained under Community Building. We need to continue reaching out to our neighbors and taking care of them, and that involves supporting small, local businesses, our local schools, rebuilding areas of the city that have been neglected, crime prevention, creating community education programs and assistance for those that need a helping hand. To be brief, the issues at the forefront of my mind involve helping us all make this City the best it can be. The City we envision for ourselves and our loved ones. I firmly believe that investing in ourselves can lead the way to fixing much broader issues."
Getting up the courage to stand and ask her question was hard, especially when you considered how thoughtful and insightful the other questions were. To top it off, Orah had to actually come up with a good question that didn't make her look stupid and actually gave her insight into the candidates. Well... once question that hadn't been asked yet.
Waiting until there was a clear moment when everyone had finished, the brunette teen stood with her hands clasped before her, looking neatly dressed in her pencil skirt and blouse.
"What is your stance on environmental awareness and sustainability, if it isn't already one of your platforms?" She said, trying to pitch her voice loud enough to be heard, even though her natural instinct was to speak softer. Oh geez, now everyone was looking at her.
Blushing, Orah quickly sat down again, smoothing down her skirt and tucking her hair behind her ears.
Posted: Sun Apr 07, 2013 12:02 pm
Marlin had arrived relatively early, choosing a seat that while not right in the front row was still only a couple of rows back from the front.
Initially his father had planned to attend as well, but had found himself with a prior appointment leaving Marlin there on his own. The strawberry blonde young man had thought on his question to ask the candidates – there being quite a few things which he wanted to know their stance on and he also knew that his father had had questions that he’d wanted to put to the candidates. Eventually however Marlin settled on:
As someone who works for a non-chain business, fair business rates for small and independent shops is something that is very important to me. It is troubling how many businesses seem to have had damage caused to them as late due to the troubles in the city and I would like to know if you have any plans to support small businesses like mine, which don’t have the resources of the big companies.
He spoke his question in a clear voice.
Arian on the other hand had arrived about five or so minutes before the debate was due to kick off, the dark-haired teen quietly choosing to take a seat near the doors so as not to disturb those already settled.
He listened as some of the others put questions towards those at front, taking note of how the potential candidates answered.
He blinked as one of the potential candidates said something about burning private schools down – okay so that was weird, maybe he’d misheard her or if not then it was some sort of joke (albeit an unfunny one) – after all he was pretty sure that potential council candidates weren’t supposed to talk casually about what amounted to causing property damage.
He waited until a brown-haired girl had finished asking a question about environmental awareness, listing to the responses back before asking his own question.
As a young person, I feel it can be hard to sometimes to our opinions across on matters that affect us and I just wanted to know what is your stance is on there being some sort of forum so that young people like me can get to have a greater say on issues that directly affect us.
Ok so maybe not the greatest question, and for sure Arian knew that he wasn’t the most eloquent speaker, but at least he’d managed to get a question out.
This was it. Wallace Suite was finally entering the world of politics. Not that he hadn’t enjoyed running for office within the school setting, but he was ready for something more. He was ready to do his part, not just for his fellow students, but for everyone in the city that he called home. He smiled blankly as he scrutinized his opposition, silently sizing them up. He was among the youngest of the candidates, but that didn’t scare him. He had everything he needed to win, as long as he went about it the right way. As others spoke, he adjusted his tie, polished his glasses, and flashed a grin when his turn came around.
“Good evening, everyone. Before I begin, I’d like to thank the moderator, as well as those of you who have come out tonight to listen to this debate and ask your fantastic questions. None of this would be possible without you.” Wallace checked his notecards, and his grin faltered slightly. “I’d also like to take this opportunity to wish my dear friend Flannery a very happy birthday.” From his expression, he didn’t seem thrilled about having to take time away from his prepared points for this little tangent. But he knew what Flannery would do to him if he didn’t acknowledge her, and her birthday, in some way. She’d been making a point of it for weeks, just as she did every year. It wasn’t like she was that much older- he would be nineteen in three days! But that was never enough.
o-Nessy-o
No, he was letting himself be rattled. He couldn’t show weakness, not on the stage. Clearing his throat, Wallace turned on his smile again. “I agree that the school system needs change. I grew up in Destiny City’s public schools, and while I feel that I received a good education, I was always aware of opportunities that were presented to those with more money and more connections, that were never available to me. That needs to change. And yet, as my opponents have said, it’s not simply a matter of throwing more money at schools. More funding should be made available to public schools, for better teacher training, better environments, and more extracurricular activities, which have proven to boost grades while allowing for different types of student expression.
"But schools are being unfairly tasked with being solely responsible for childhood education, and that needs to change. Children should not be the only ones involved in a school- families need to get involved as well. There needs to be a supportive, encouraging environment for children at home, as well as at school, for education to really stick. It’s easy to toss the blame on parents, but many parents work full-time and cannot be there for their children 24/7. Parental duties come second, and that kind of attitude needs to change. I believe that in addition to school reform, we need a social reform, putting more emphasis on the importance of family and making sure that everyone has access to safe, supportive learning environments both in school as well as outside of it. This is one of our most important responsibilities, and we cannot keep foisting it on underpaid educators who can only do so much. It is something everyone needs to get involved in, for our own sake as well as that of the next generation, and as your city councilman I will do everything I can to assist in forming a comprehensive approach to education, so that children are constantly supported in their efforts.”
As soon as the question was passed to the next candidate, Wallace took a sip of water and a few deep breaths. He was somewhat used to the debate atmosphere from his student body council campaigns, and he knew that this would be even bigger and more oppressive. But it was an exponential step-up from his previous experience, and he wasn’t totally prepared for that. The whole thing was more intimidating than he’d thought it would be, but at the same time, it was invigorating on a whole new level. It was scary, but it was also fantastic! This was the whole reason he was here!
moonlit-raven
The next question was an easy one, and he could hardly wait for his turn to come around. “I think it’s pretty obvious that the most pressing issue our city faces is the unprecedented rise in terrorism and gang warfare that we’ve seen over the past few years. This has had a greater effect on our city than just a little property damage or a few minor injuries. People have died in the crossfire while these criminals rampage. More and more businesses of all sizes are moving elsewhere, citing the spike in crime. This surge of criminal activity has not only threatened our property and our health, but our very welfare. It must be stopped, by any means necessary. I propose an increase in uniformed and plainclothes police officers patrolling our streets, as well as harsher penalties for those arrested in connection with terrorist or gang activity, so the perpetrators are taken off our streets for good.”
That, Wallace felt, went well. The next question was tougher though. Environmental issues were not a key part of his platform, though he’d known that they were popular and guessed that he would be asked about them at some point in time. He shuffled his notecards, stopping when he came to the one with a few bullet points on the environment. They were all popular, common opinions, because that seemed the safest way to go on an issue like this.
Bluefire Dragonz
“Of course, the protection of the environment is an important cause for all of us. Regardless of whether we’re millionaires or working minimum wage, we all share the same planet and must do our best to take care of it. This means more awareness about how we can make our lives greener and more sustainable. Cleaner sources of energy need to be made available at costs comparable to that of oil- or coal-based fuel. Recycling needs to be a law, not just a guideline. And we need more public transportation, so that as a city, we can consume less and produce more. If the City Council were to manage public transportation, we would be able to implement an effective and easily-accessible system without worrying about profit. Measures like this allow everyone to benefit, not just the people running the bus and train companies.” Once he reached the bottom of his card, Wallace paused. Had he been too polarized there? It was too late to worry about it now. He nodded, signalling the end of his response, and took another breath as he waited for the next question to come around.
litian
“Small businesses are what make up the lifeblood of Destiny City. They provide us with goods and services that make our city unique. As I have said earlier, I support a tougher stance on crime that would help all businesses, not just the small ones. But it is true that smaller businesses are struggling more in these difficult times. To help alleviate these troubles, I support tax rebates for small businesses- those with less than ten employees- as well as a crackdown on tax evasion by larger businesses. The Mom and Pop shop on the corner shouldn’t have to pay for rebuilding the big corporation down the street. By leveling the playing field, we allow smaller businesses to challenge the larger ones, which creates a better economy for everyone.”
The next question seemed to come right on the heels of the last, and Wallace barely had time to shift to the right card before his turn came around again. Fortunately, this was one he was prepared to talk about. “Young people should absolutely be involved in making decisions, since so many decisions affect them. So far we’ve spoken about education and the environment, two issues that are especially important for us. I am encouraged by the number of young people participating in this election, including myself. But the fact that we are running does not negate the fact that many teenagers and young adults are uneducated about the issues affecting them, or completely apathetic about the political process, or both. Raising awareness about these important concerns is one step that we need to take, and something I believe should be done in tandem with the comprehensive education plan I outlined earlier.
"However, in this case, awareness is not enough. Most young people feel that they do not have a way to meaningfully contribute to policy, and they are right. One young person on the city council can only do so much. With the advent of social media, we already have the tools we need to find out what people think, and the audience we want to survey is already using these tools, with more skill than many of our older representatives. Constant dialogue, using these social networks, will allow those in the position to make decisions to know what their constituents think- especially the ones who are often too busy “tweeting” or updating their “wall” to make their political opinions known. By merging this form of media that has achieved everyday use by so many, with polls and surveys meant to assess the positions of everyone, but targeted at young people, we can see the complete picture and know what we need to do to move forward- all of us, not just those of us who have a particular interest in the issues.”
Wallace wobbled a little as he finished his answer. This whole process was exhausting as much as it was invigorating. But so far, he felt that his performance was pretty good. All he needed to do was keep it up, if he could last that long. He took another swig of water, and hoped for a bit of a break before the next question was asked.
Posted: Sun Apr 07, 2013 1:58 pm
Even with official workers, a meeting place, and a huge stretch of people come to see, Liberty Marie Reever was having a hard time not getting the feeling that this was a giant mistake. There seemed to be no qualification restrictions for those running, and it could have been anyone's game.
But, she'd promised she'd be here, and so here she was. Liberty had put on her best pair of black slacks held up by a shined belt buckle, a pristine white button-up shirt, and a neat, dark red tie that Liberty had put on as a joke and then decided she'd liked the look of it.
Perhaps she was expecting brightly colored balloons and cake, but what she encountered was actually a very formal arrangement. It was almost like an actual election--and, she supposed it was. A most interesting election indeed.
"Excuse me," Liberty whispered out to a few people at the end of the aisle she was headed down.
A straight back, proud shoulders, and a comfortable presence made Avery Hollister easy to spot when Liberty took her seat. The questions rattled off, and Liberty had to bite her tongue at a few of the given answers. When there was an open space, she shifted her way to the front and leaned slightly into the microphone.
"There's been a lot of talk about funding for schools, support of small businesses, multiple platforms that suggest a crackdown on terrorist organizations in the area, but very little mention of how this will be paid for. Given tax propositions can take a year to be put into action, and many years further to see the effects of, if they pass at all, what plans do you have in place for creating immediate change in Destiny City or in the absence of tax funding?"
Aurora Namid was, like usual, pretty early to the event and she had settled herself pretty close to the front of the large room. But there was a special reasoning for that more then simple civil duty. When Aurora had decided to sign up for the election she hadn't been aware that her boyfriend had also decided to run. In a way it made things easier, the two could spend time together because of it. And it pretty much gave her someone to support before she even had to think about choosing between people.
So she'd been there early to help him prepare and as people began to fill the room she'd set herself near the front to give him someone to look to for support should he get flustered or something.
She recognized a few more faces on the stands when they filled, flashing soft encouraging smiles to her friends before settling in to listen. And she found herself feeling all the more uncertain the more she listened. Part of her insisted that she obviously had to vote for her boyfriend or her friend. After all you supported your friends and she tended to agree with their words for the most part. But listening to the answer of strangers she also felt her thoughts being pulled this way and that as carefully crafted answers touched her ears. The ballot WAS anonymous... Maybe it would be better to vote for whoever she thought would do the best job and lie through ommission about who she had voted for. Friend/partner duty or civic duty? Only time would tell.
After a few people had asked questions she waited for a momentary lull before standing herself, lifting a hand dutifully upwards.
"One candidate has touched on it already, but I'd like to hear everyone's specific opinions on this. As much as I love this city it's plain to see how dangerous it has become. People get hurt and even killed at an alarming rate. I myself spent months in a coma with many others that no one was every able to explain."
"People's livelyhoods are destroyed in the forms of their homes, schools, and places of business. What are some of the specific ways you plan on making Destiny City a safer place to live."
