APPLe academy’s second season brings in sophomores

Danny Langhorne
Editor-in-Chief
The newest academy at SBHS called APPLe (Academy of Public Policy and Leadership) is gearing up for its second year. APPLe is an academy on campus that helps students develop their talents in public speaking and debate, a unique environment to develop them.
It also encourages students to get actively involved in local politics and community service. Students hear guest speakers who are in local and state governments and other organizations including Congresswoman Lois Capps, former Secretary of State Madeline Albright, and David Krieger or the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation.
Around thirty members of APPLe spent a week last June in the Summer Institute at UCSB. While sleeping in the dorms and living on campus they debated the hot topic issues of immigration, torture, and global warming.
“The debates in the institute were very intense and we learned a lot about what it’s like being in a real court,” said junior Maria Vallejo who attended the summer institute.
They researched with the help of Professor John Park of Asian Studies just as if they were actual college students. “If the officials helping us at UCSB hadn’t been doing all they were, APPle wouldn’t be very good,” said Gamble.
In between research sessions for the debates, activities were held that helped bring the APPLe students closer, including a ropes course, ultimate frisbee, and karaoke. “It was also a chance for the students to get to know each other better. Some who had never really been friends before were really close after the experience,” said Mr. Gamble.
APPLe students returning as juniors will be attending a fall retreat at El Capitan Campground where the bonds they formed at the Summer Institute will be able to continue to grow.
Gamble’s goal for the juniors is that they play a leadership role in helping initiate this year’s sophomores. At the orientation held last Thursday juniors spoke of the experience at UCSB and the process of researching for the debates. Juniors Margo Slaff, Maria Vallejo and Ty Vestal talked about the week at UCSB and their roles in the debates and activities.
Gamble hopes to raise enough money to be able to take the students to Sacramento and Washington D.C. to meet with politicians and observe how government really works.
Every other week students will be sitting in on lectures with different speakers in the theater, including State Assemblyman Pedro Nava and Santa Barbara City Councilman Das Williams. David Krieger and Lois Capps will also be returning to talk with the students.
The first lecture of the year will be when Santa Barbara mayor Marty Blum comes to speak to the students in the SBHS theater on October 17 at 7:30 p.m.
All of the students meet every other Thursday in Mr, Gamble’s classroom, room 212 in the main hall, to plan events and discuss opinions and lessons from recent lectures.