The Cupertino Youth Activity Board hosted its bi-annual Pizza and Politics event on Wednesday, Oct. 30, as part of its ongoing effort to augment teenage participation and voices in community affairs. Students aged 13-18 attended the two hour long event, where they were given free pizza and encouraged to participate in three segments, beginning with a Mayor Roundtable, continuing with the Youth and Teen Commissioner Roundtable and ending with the Teen Debate.
In the first two segments, teenagers asked questions directly to members of the Roundtable about community issues and teenagers’ involvement in local government. The final segment, the Teen Debate, consisted of two pairs, both addressing the issue of the banning of single use plastics in relation to SB-54, the Plastic Pollution Prevention and Packaging Producer Responsibility Act.
Sophomore and chair of the Cupertino Teen Commission Shivika Biswari decided to participate in the event as a discussion moderator because of her desire to help educate the local community. Biswari hopes that her leadership will inspire other youth to take the opportunity to join local commissions of their own.
“Like many of the other panelists, I’ve always wanted to make some sort of impact on my community,” Biswari said. “We, as the youth, have a voice in our government and I wanted to be a part of the impact.”
Along with Cupertino representatives, members from the Campbell and Saratoga’s Teen Commission also participated in the event. Westmont High School sophomore Sophie Tuan, chair of the Campbell Youth Commission, believes that the event was an important opportunity for youth to become involved in the local political scene.
“You can really make a difference even if you’re just a teenager, especially in politics, because everyone should have a voice,” Tuan said. “I’ve been able to see my voice create change.”
