Meet Fiona Ross and Sean O’Connor, Chase the Race Reporters for the GOP Debate in Houston
The Envision Experience Chase the Race 2016 team leaves for Houston on Wednesday to report on the February 25th Republican Debate, with an eye on the youth perspective. This will be the last debate before Super Tuesday, March 1. Our student reporters this time are Fiona Ross, an alumna of the NYLF Inside Sports & Entertainment program and Sean O’Connor, an alumnus of the NYLF National Security program. We had a chance to talk with both of them this week and ask them their views on the event and the issues surrounding the election.
“This race is something we haven’t seen before,” said Sean O’Connor. “No one young or old has seen this, it’s pretty unconventional so far.”
“The GOP side is so heated,” adds Fiona Ross. “Right now the Democrats have their two candidates, and on the GOP side they have so many and they all have extremely high tension. I think it’s going to be a really interesting event.
Fiona added that some of the issues she hopes to hear more about include women’s rights, racial tension in the United States, and the Supreme Court nomination. She also spoke about college affordability. “I think everyone is frustrated with how much it costs,” said Fiona. “It’s an important issue to America’s youth right now.”
“The Republican Party should try and address education, making college education more affordable,” added Sean. “I know it’s something the Democrats have really tried to make one of their key points, but I feel if [the GOP] talked about that in positive way, and gave solutions that are different than the Democrats, but still sound good, then a lot of young people would look at that objectively, and might get behind them.”
The two student reporters will be featured in our live program on chasetherace2016.com at 8 p.m. on Thursday night. They will also be sharing on our Snapchat account (envisionsocial) throughout the afternoon leading up to the event. We will also be covering the event on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Please send comments and questions to us on those channels using the #ChaseTheRace2016 hashtag.
Here is more information about our student reporters.
Fiona Ross – Final Republican Debate Reporter
Alumna, Envision’s NYLF Inside Sports & Entertainment
As a Chase the Race 2016 reporter, Fiona will apply the leadership skills she developed in Girls Scouts, theater and on student council to help teens relate to the political process and share their voices. She looks forward to providing a women’s perspective in a male-dominated field and to serving as a role model for younger students. This California 9th grader believes equality for all, regardless of race, gender or sexual orientation, is an extremely relevant topic for her generation.
Sean O’Connor – Final Republican Debate Reporters
Alumnus, Envision’s NYLF National Security
Sean believes that true freedom and democracy require a "well-informed and educated populace."
As a Chase the Race 2016 reporter, he takes pride in informing others, so they may have the power to make their own enlightened decisions on Election Day. This Pennsylvania 11th grader feels his generation needs to be ready to use advancements in social technology in a responsible manner, enhancing the human experience and sharing innovative ideas. He’s also keenly aware of the growing competition for today’s youth as they enter the job market in a dynamic global economy.
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