Among the questions debated by high school students in Manteca last Friday (April 10): Is a hot dog a sandwich?

That was one of the lighter moments in a nonpartisan civic debate that also addressed serious issues, including mandatory voting, whether college athletes should be paid, and whether the city of Manteca should focus more on youth programs or services for seniors.

Fifteen students from East Union High School and Sierra High School squared off at Sierra High School during an event organized and sponsored by the Manteca Democratic Club.

Four teams with names like Glitter Sparkles, NASA, Winners, and Tactical Terminators argued both sides of each question, and judges selected winners for each round and an overall winner.

Serving as judges were Mayor Gary Singh, Councilman Mike Morowit, and Councilman David Breitenbucher. All three said they enjoyed the event and want to return next year. The student debaters agreed that they would love to participate in another debate.

The club organized the event to show young people that democracy is not just something you watch, but something you do. The goal was to give students a chance to engage with civic issues and practice respectful disagreement before they are old enough to vote. Students at the event had the opportunity to preregister to vote.

“This was a great way to get young people to participate in democracy in a fun and engaging way,” said Paul Freiberger, Vice President of the Manteca Democratic Club.

“They learned something, had fun, and practiced skills that will serve them for a lifetime. And, for the record, I'm still not sure if a hot dog is a sandwich.”

The club plans to make the debate an annual event.