TOWAMENCIN – “This event has been going on since many of your parents were born,” North Penn High School History teacher Brian Haley said. “This goes all the way back to my mentor, Jim Finnemeyer.”

Yesterday, January 8, 2024, North Penn High School held their Simulated National Convention. The convention happens every four years at the high school around election season. In past years, the convention was led by Mr. Jim Finnemeyer, but this year because of the loss of Finnemeyer, it was led by Haley.

The convention kicked off with a speech from North Penn High School Principal Kyle Hassler to get everyone excited.

“This event not only showcases the spirit of democracy, but also reflects the incredible potential of each of you to shape the future of our nation. As we embark on this journey, let us remember the importance of open dialogue, respect to diverse perspectives, and the power of collaboration,” Hassler said. “This convention is not just an academic exercise. It is a platform for you, the future leaders of our country, to engage in meaningful discussions, share your ideas, and practice the art of diplomacy.”

Respecting every person’s unique perspectives was a crucial part of this event. A lot of planning went into the logistics of the event and ultimately led leaders to hold a “No Labels” party convention, meaning the convention would be to elect an independent candidate to the 2024 presidential ballot.

“Normally, we would have you all playing Democrats or Republicans. My team of leaders and I discussed it and decided that this is a highly polarized climate. If you are paying attention to the news, you can understand that the two political parties do not get along,” Haley said. “We decided to do an open convention to give you the opportunity to avoid name-calling and partisan bickering. Be yourself and speak to your own truth.”

If you aren’t sure how a convention works, that’s ok. Many students at the convention had never understood how conventions work in politics, but it was a learning experience for many.

“Every four years, a political party has several important duties to perform at these conventions. First, they will nominate a presidential and a vice presidential candidate for their party. They’ll adopt party rules for the next four years. They will appoint the national party chairperson and leadership team for the next four years,” Co Chair Tarun Iyengar said. “They will produce a platform which is a written stance on the issues and that’s what voters can use to make decisions. Today we will start by creating a platform for our ‘No Labels’ party.”

The students participated by going up to microphones and speaking about their views on hot-button issues that are affecting our nation. Ten topics were discussed as followed:

• Student debt forgiveness
• Minimum wage
• Climate change
• Russia/Ukraine war
• Abortion
• Immigration crisis
• Middle East crisis
• Healthcare
• Legalization of marijuana
• The electoral college

There were many different viewpoints on every issue. Despite the diverse views, the convention stayed mostly respectful throughout the entire day. If you would like to see some of the viewpoints on the issues, visit these slides that display the details (produced by the Knight Crier.)

After the topics were discussed, delegates were able to hear speeches from each candidate to ultimately decide who to elect as the “No Labels” party candidate. No candidate reached a majority to win during the first vote, so the delegates had to revote with the two most popular candidates, Vivek Ramaswamy and Josh Shapiro.

Josh Shapiro ended up taking the majority of the vote and being the “No Labels” party candidate for the 2024 upcoming presidential election. The Knight Crier expresses its thanks for everyone who organized and participated in this beloved North Penn tradition