DeFUNIAK SPRINGS – Two dozen students from 11 area high schools spent a part of Valentine’s Day at a Florida Supreme Court mock session arguing the legality of drug testing athlete peers.
Then, it was a short walk across the road to the state House of Representatives, where students met lawmakers and received an introduction to the legislative process.
It started Feb. 13 with a visit to the Challenger Learning Center. At the center, the students saw a 3-D IMAX movie about space junk orbiting Earth and took part in an electromagnetism workshop.
The contingent was one of nine youth tour groups visiting the state’s capital. More than 110 high school juniors from electric cooperatives throughout Florida participated.
Six local high schoolers in this year’s distinguished Youth Tour class were from north Okaloosa County:
· Joseph Printy and Holley Nicholson of Crestview High School
· Sophia Chaitha and Brandon Engler of Baker School
· Victoria Hutcheson and Jessica Fickett of Laurel Hill School
Also attending were:
· Alix Bikker and Samantha Arvin of Collegiate High School, Niceville
· Claire Gunter and Tyler Paskell of Rocky Bayou Christian School
· Rachel Gold and JP Talty of Niceville High School
· Hunter Bell and Samantha Kirby of Walton High School, DeFuniak Springs
· Emily Derrick and Solomon Tape of South Walton High School, Santa Rosa Beach
CHELCO Inc. sponsored the two-day, all-expenses-paid Youth Tour 2013 trip.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Students participate in Supreme Court mock session