HomeMy WebLinkAbout6/16/2026 Item 7c, Hart
Marion Winrow Hart <mhart03@calpoly.edu>
Sent:Tuesday, June 16, 2026
To:E-mail Council Website
Subject:Comment on Agenda item 7C
To the Mayor and Councilmembers,
I’m writing as the Co-Director of Forensics, Director of Spanish-language Debate, and a lecturer at Cal
Poly, but also as a seventh-generation SLO County resident.
I want to reflect on Present & Defend: Building Inclusive Public Engagement, a Belonging Project event
on May 13th, 2026, that showed how young people can practice civic speech and contribute
meaningfully to local government.
The Cal Poly Debate Team was asked to develop solutions to bring more residents into local civic life. In
May, three teams of students presented proposals to a panel of field experts and to a full audience of
students and community members. The team whose presentation was most persuasive — Cal Poly
students Cooper Sumrall, Ellie Monge, and Harper Cummings — proposed a plan to bring high school
students into City Council work as a focus and advisory group. Last week, the winning team met with
members of the SLO Office of DEI to follow up on their plan and begin turning these ideas into reality.
Events like this highlight San Luis Obispo at its best. This was one of the best examples of how San Luis
Obispo integrates young voices into local decision-making. Young people are often told to “get involved,”
but involvement can feel abstract. This event made involvement tangible. It opened a door. It said: your
voice belongs here, your ideas can be tested here, and your contribution can help shape the place you
call home.
Civic speech is not just something we read about in a textbook or reserve for formal public meetings. It is
something people learn by doing: by researching an issue, listening carefully, making a claim, answering
questions, and revising our ideas in public.That is what I think is so powerful about debate when it is
connected to local government. It gives young people a way to practice the habits that democracy
depends on. It teaches them to move through disagreement by listening to one another, trying to
persuade one another, and staying focused on the community they are trying to serve.
I want to thank the City, the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, specifically Matt Pennon and Sam
Vethanavam, for inviting the Cal Poly Debate Team to work with y’all. I would also like to thank our
judges, Matt Pennon, Rachel Whalen, and Jill Rietjens, for helping create a serious and supportive civic
learning experience for our students.
My hope is that this is not a one-time event, but part of an ongoing pathway for students and residents to
practice public speech, build belonging, and serve the community.
Cordialmente,
Marion
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Marion W Hart, MA PhD (she/ella)
Director of Spanish Language Debate and Co-Director of Forensics #learnbydebating
Advisor Phi Sigma Iota, Cal Poly
Advisor Spanish Club
Advisor Project Sunshine
Lecturer
Communication Studies Department | Department of World Languages and Cultures
mhart03@calpoly.edu
(805) 316-1027
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