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How Hinsdale students booked all 5 GOP Senate candidates for forum

Getting multiple candidates for an office as high-profile as U.S. Senate to commit to be in the same place at the same time is a challenge for even the most seasoned political operative.

But it's nothing a group of high school students at Hinsdale Central can't handle.

The school's Student Conservative Organization expects to have all five Republicans seeking the GOP nomination for the Senate seat held by Democrat Dick Durbin to be on campus for a forum from 3 to 4:30 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 13, at 5500 Grant St.

It took months of networking and coordinating schedules to get all the candidates to say they'll attend, along with some glad-handing of a Republican organization downstate. But the students, led by junior Mikhail Essa, took it step by step and now are finalizing plans for what they hope will be a well-attended event.

Candidates are expected to give brief opening and closing statements and answer four to six questions prepared by students during the forum. Casey Chlebek, Mark Curran, Peggy Hubbard, Robert Marshall and Tom Tarter all have told the students they will be there.

"When I heard it was for the young Republicans of this high school, I actually made time for them. I actually canceled an event to be there for them," Hubbard said. "I want these students engaged. I want them to know that they have a future senator that is concerned about their concerns."

The forum is the latest in a series of events hosted by the Student Conservative Organization since Mikhail reached out to business teacher Michael Ivancich last year about getting the club started.

"We just wanted to give students a way to express their conservative opinions," Mikhail said.

The club so far has hosted speakers including former 6th District U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam of Wheaton and Jeanne Ives of Wheaton, one of two Republican candidates now running for the chance to reclaim the 6th District seat from Downers Grove Democrat Sean Casten.

Other speakers who have presented to audiences of roughly 40 of the Student Conservative Organization's 110 members include Casten, former Lt. Gov. Evelyn Sanguinetti of Wheaton and a survivor of the Parkland school shooting in Florida.

Inviting local politicians and attending GOP events has helped club members make connections that led them to reach the Senate candidates.

"The hardest part was getting in touch with them in the first place," Mikhail said.

The same speakers who visited the club also helped the group secure a former state representative and Hinsdale Central parent as the forum's moderator.

"I think the future of our government is getting young people involved in the process of running for office, or not necessarily running for office, but being interested in what's going on," said Patti Bellock, the event's moderator, who represented the 47th District until stepping down in 2018. "I'm just so impressed by it."

Bellock said she'll let students take the lead on the questions, but she expects topics could include the national budget, taxes and impeachment. Mikhail, who also is passionate about involving fellow Muslims in conservative politics, said student debt and minority outreach also are on the docket.

The club wanted to host a Senate candidates' forum to remind students not to focus solely on the presidential election. But Thursday's date originally was the date of a Senate forum in Tazewell County in the Peoria area as well, Mikhail said.

When one of the candidates alerted him to the conflict, Mikhail said, he asked for contact information for the Tazewell County Republican organization and reached out, explaining the students' constraints in hosting their event.

"They were pretty understanding," he said, and chose to reschedule, just like Hubbard did.

The event is set to take place during the work day, but the public is invited.

Ivancich said it's all part of allowing students to explore political viewpoints and begin to formulate their own.

Mikhail and the other leaders of the Student Conservative Organization are juniors and too young to vote in this year's primary or general election. But Mikhail said he's learning plenty about political involvement from the process.

"Anyone can go into politics," he said, "if they have hope and love for this country."

  "Anyone can go into politics if they have hope and love for this country," says Mikhail Essa, a junior at Hinsdale Central High School. Essa leads the Student Conservative Organization, which is hosting a candidate forum with all five candidates seeking the GOP nomination to run for U.S. Senate expected to attend. Patrick Kunzer/pkunzer@dailyherald.com
  Michael Ivancich, a business teacher at Hinsdale Central High School, has assisted Student Conservative Organization leaders including junior Mikhail Essa as they have planned a candidate forum with all five GOP hopefuls for U.S. Senate expected to attend. Patrick Kunzer/pkunzer@dailyherald.com
  Hinsdale Central High School junior Mikhail Essa and business teacher Michael Ivancich say the Student Conservative Organization exists to allow students to explore political stances, express conservative viewpoints and begin to form their own priorities. Patrick Kunzer/pkunzer@dailyherald.com
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