BC senior takes home $250 scholarship
For Bethlehem Central senior John Hartunian, a fictional Facebook photo led to financial aid.
He is this year’s recipient of the $250 Bethlehem Youth Court Advocacy Scholarship, which was awarded at the group’s second Law Day celebration on Wednesday, May 25.
Hartunian and two other seniors in the Youth Court program, Matthew Weber and Caitlin Willey, presented arguments on a fictional case involving a teen who allegedly stole and defaced a street sign. Using that basic scenario, they were free to add their own details and then play the part of a prosecuting or defending attorney for three judges: Adrienne Foederer, law clerk to U.S. Magistrate Judge David Homer; Gene Primomo, assistant federal defender and a Bethlehem Youth Court board member; and Connie Mayer, associate dean at Albany Law School and a BYC board member.
The judges felt Hartunian made the most convincing arguments, and praised him for submitting fictional evidence gleaned from Facebook in his arguments. But all three of the speakers made excellent oral arguments, said Primomo, and as a result of Youth Court are better prepared for whatever life brings next.
Now the next thing, whether it’s a college presentation or a job interview…it’s going to serve you well, Primomo said. `You’ve given yourself a life lesson.`
Hartunian will be attending Villanova University next year at the School of Business.
Bethlehem Youth Court is, as the name implies, a student-run court that metes out punishments for juvenile offenders, usually in the form of community service. This year, there are 57 students in BC and RCS schools trained as members of the court, who rotate through the positions of attorneys, judges, and court clerks.
The juries are also made up of students, so offenders are truly judged by a jury of their peers.
Also on Law Day, a panel of current Youth Court participants shared their thoughts and experiences with the program. Most said the program has strengthened their public speaking and reasoning skills in addition to being a lot of fun.
`I think it might be one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,` said Samantha Ebersold of her decision to join Youth Court.
The Bethlehem program has been running for 16 years now, and uses the town court’s facilities. The young attorneys are helped out by members of the Youth Court board and other volunteer legal minds.
Program Director Katrina Charland said she’s glad Youth Court can also dispense scholarships to its participants.
`I was really happy with the way the kids presented and prepared for the scholarship. They did a really good job. They put a lot of work into it,` she said.
Youth Court will resume in the fall, when a new class of members and jurors will be trained. On June 2, the Judge Peter C Wenger Scholarship will be awarded at the BC High School’s Senior Award Night. The $500 scholarship will be awarded to the winner of an essay contest about Youth Court, and there are four entrants this year.
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