Spetember 1, 2004

From a pre-convention tour of Madison Square Garden to hanging out at Radio Row with bomb-sniffing dogs, youth journalists from New York City-based Children’s PressLine are hunting down politicians and taking in the scene at the Republican National Convention. Here are their perspectives.

Cheney visits, crowd gets earful
On Ellis Island, the Republicans held an official welcoming party for Vice President Dick Cheney. The press had to stand way in the back but the regular people got to be up close. The Secret Service told us that when the press pulls out microphones they get jumpy because they don’t always know what the microphones are from far away. We saw snipers on nearby buildings so we backed away.

We did meet a friendly Secret Service guy who gave us Secret Service pins. He was tall in a dark suit. He told us he was from Mississippi but now lives in Miami. He’s only been doing the Secret Service for two years. It’s his first time in New York. He had done security for both the president and for Kerry. They protect them all the same.

Asked and answered
When asked what he felt could be done to increase youth voter turnout by kid reporters from 8-18 Media, Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele said it starts with government officials meeting with the young people and asking, “Wassup? What’s your issue? What’s your beef? What do you like? What don’t you like? How would you like to see the government performing for you?”

Since Steele, asked…students in Marquette, Mich., where 8-18 Media is based, answered:

“The [local] budget cuts affect my brother because [now] there are no more honors classes for him to take,” said Jessica Vonck, 17. “This year he had to take a bunch of regular classes and he constantly felt like he could slack off in all the courses, and he never was doing homework because he didn’t have to. “

Nick Quinnell, 18, was worried about how the cuts would affect college acceptance. “If [colleges] have a choice between somebody that got all As from Marquette High, which has no honors, or all As from some school in Iowa that did have honors, obviously they’re going to take the kid that had the honors classes,” he said.

Sly fox
Fox News didn’t seem to like the line of questioning coming from our fellow youth journalists from Indianapolis’ Y-Press for House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.). During the second question, a Fox News cameraman used a hand signal signifying that they should end the interview. The reporters wanted to ask Hastert about how testing actually affects the education of students. We know that testing isn’t the same as educating kids but wanted to give Hastert the chance to defend the No Child Left Behind Act.

“We want to make sure the kids are actually getting it,” he said. “Without some type of a test, there is no accountability.”

Playing the kid card
The Y-Press reporters had to use a very “kid voice” to get interviews with Senators Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) and Mike DeWine (R-OH) about NCLB and testing.

Chambliss said that the government funds testing so that it could see improvements in the classroom. He also said that the government should fund more scholarships. This will only work if the scholarships go to average kids who need the financial aid, like those that wouldn’t go to college unless they had the help.

DeWine had similar answers to Chambliss. DeWine said that NCLB isn’t underfunded and that it will reach its goal by 2014. (By then, we will be in our mid-20’s.)

In and out
It was hot and steamy outside Madison Square Garden yesterday afternoon, but that didn’t stop the party faithful from showing off Republican regalia. Delegates, interns and volunteers expressed their GOP pride with pins: “Luvya Dubya,” “I Only Sleep with Republicans” and “Win One More for the Gipper.”

Trudy Pellerin, a delegate from Orange County, Texas, and her colleagueLydia Damnel shaded themselves with red and white cowboy hats that matched their Native American jewelry.

When asked how the Republicans intend to address children’s issues, Damnel responded that providing social services is the job of “churches and Christians. If it’s done through the churches,” she continued, “children will be taken care of properly…all [the federal government] has done is take care of the outside of children and we haven’t provided them with what they need inside to be better people and grow up to be productive adults.”

Still big
While waiting in the light rain for security to give us clearance for a luncheon honoring former mayor Rudi Giuliani, an elderly man questioned us about the festivities. “Why is Giuliani here?” Then, for 10 minutes he praised the virtues of the former mayor. “Giuliani did what any mayor should do. He is not supposed to hide under his bed at Gracie Mansion.”

Once inside Cipriani, a fancy Italian restaurant, we took advantage of the opportunity to ask Giuliani about health insurance. Before we finished asking the question, he started talking about HealthStat, a program which claims to have provided health insurance to 96,000 low-income children and families in New York.

We wanted to ask a follow-up but the security guards were telling us, “Just one question.” We left while the rest of the people, who had paid at least $2,000 to be there, were being served their fancy salad and bread.

Wheels on the House go round and round
Career advice or political philosophy from former bus driver and House Speaker J. Dennis Hastert, to youth reporters:

“Do you know why driving a school bus was important? Huh? When you drive to school you have to get that big bus right down the middle of the road. That means that everybody behind you has to behave and you have to keep your eye on that mirror and watch your back.”

Scissors, wrestlers and Boy Scouts
At the New Yorker Hotel, World Wrestler Entertainment presented their Smackdown Your Vote event with the help of the Boy Scouts. After 30 minutes of the wrestlers speaking, they all sat down and started making thank-you cards for the troops in Iraq. Some had to sit on the floor but they were enthusiastic about it.

In an interview with our colleagues at 8-18 Media, pro wrestler Mark Henry said that “People that are 18 have a right to decide what’s going on just as much as a 30-something, or however old. We want those people to go and put those people in office that are gonna get the job done for them.”

August 20, 2004

Among the throngs of reporters covering the Republican National Convention in New York City this week is a young team from Children’s PressLine, honing skills they learned in Boston covering the Democrats. On Wednesday, September 8 from 1 to 2 p.m. Connect for Kids will host them for a TalkTime Live! on-line chat about how they see Election 2004. Join the discussion! Submit questions ahead of time to susan@connectforkids.org, or during the chat. Meanwhile, the CPL team sent us some early impressions of their convention experience.

Smile! Members of Children’s PressLine’s Republican convention team mug for a few shots before the heavy work inside the convention center begin. From left, Marie Ponsot, 11; Kibuchi Banfield, 17; Natasha Kirtchuk, 13 and Laurence James, 13.

Courtesy: Dmitriy Lizin/CPL Media

Courtesy: Dmitriy Lizin/CPL Media

On the subway ride to City Hall to cover a pre-convention rally sponsored by Planned Parenthood, Kibuchi Banfield, team editor, makes sure he has his reporters phone numbers programmed into his cell phone.

Kibuchi Banfield gives his team a pep talk in front of City Hall Park before they cover the March for Women’s Rights	Courtesy: Dmitriy Lizin/CPL Media

Courtesy: Dmitriy Lizin/CPL Media

Natasha conducts her first interview of the Republican convention with a New York City resident and pro-choice advocate – 9-year-old Nina. Behind her, Laurence James and his editor look for their next prospect.

• CPL also covered the 2004 DNC Convention in Boston