Paly’s Junior Statesmen of America club is eagerly anticipating this weekend’s northern California convention featuring hip-hop artist Snoop Dogg, in Santa Clara.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing Snoop Dogg,” second-year JSA member Astasia Myers said.

Snoop Dogg, along with Barbara Becnel, the keynote speaker, are advocates for the release of Tookie Williams, the founder of the “Crips” gang and a Nobel Prize nominee. Williams is currently on death row for the murder of four people. Many argue that he should be let out of prison because of his formal apology for creating the violent “Crips.”

With 10 members from Paly attending, JSA members will debate, discuss current issues (including illegal immigration) and listen to speakers.

Besides seeing Snoop Dogg, event members are also looking forward to is the debate. Senior president, Daniel Riff, knows how overwhelming debates can be. “Getting up and speaking up in front of people you don’t know is always tough,” Riff said.

However, for others, debates are one of the most exciting parts of JSA conventions. “I really like hearing people argue and debate because it shows how talented and opinionated this generation is,” Myers said.

Debaters from other areas in the state bring a variety of opinions to the convention. “Different regions of California think differently, so it’s interesting to see how their political opinions vary,” Myers said.

With 16,000 members of JSA throughout the United States and Canada, the Paly JSA is fairly small. According to Riff, Paly JSA may be small but members are intelligent and informed in their opinions on issues. “[Our members] know what we’re doing. We tend to have discussions where students display their advanced knowledge of an issue,” Riff said.

JSA provides students with a comfortable atmosphere to discuss their opinions and learn more about political issues. “It’s a safe environment to voice my opinion,” Myers said. “It broadens my personal opinion of what’s going on in the world.”