GREENFIELD — Alberto Chacon of Vista Verde Middle School won first place at the Migrant Speech and Debate Competition on May 6 for his speech on curfews.
Chacon, an eighth-grade student, competed at Bakersfield Middle School against 20 other students and stated his case for why he is against curfews.
“The violence doesn’t really happen when cops think it’s really happening,” Chacon said. “Studies show that curfews really don’t prevent crime, it actually increases it since that lack of activity of police officers.”
Chacon cited CNN and other news sources to make his argument. Chacon said crimes happen at any time of the day and did not find a time that was particularly high or low.
The four-minute speech that Chacon gave on May 6 was the product of approximately five months of work. Chacon would prepare for the speech by reading the speech out loud and in the Migrant Program classroom.
Chacon first became involved with the Migrant program when he was younger, when his father worked as a field worker.
The Chacon family needed help and came across a Migrant Associate named Anna, who helped the family to become involved with the migrant program.
Prior to the Migrant Speech and Debate Competition, Chacon was coached by Eliana Hernandez.
