Let no one accuse Roosevelt High senior and soon-to-be graduate Fez Zafar of going through the motions in his last lame duck days as a Roughrider. The student body president whose most recent project was a presidential candidate forum last fall (https://www.dmschools.org/news_release/dmps-register-sponsor-youth-voice-forum-presidential-candidates/) has one more similar event on his to-do list before officially graduating on June 20.

Roosevelt’s Student Council plans to host a series of Youth Voice Forums via Zoom starting next week. These sessions will serve as Q&A sessions between students and Iowa elected officials and political figures.

According to an invitation emailed to families districtwide, “Students of all ages are welcome to participate. They will have the ability to submit their questions online, and may listen to leaders address them from the comfort of their homes. At such an unprecedented time in our country, youth may ask about current events, for advice, and about the experience of each individual speaker. Each Zoom session will feature an independent guest, and will last 45 minutes to 1 hour long.”

The following speakers are scheduled to participate:

— Senator Charles Grassley (June 8 at 2:30pm)

— Former Iowa Governor and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack & former First Lady of Iowa Christie Vilsack (June 10 at 2:30pm)

— Eric Branstad, Iowa Director of President Trump’s 2016 Campaign (June 12 at 2:30pm)

— Hooff Cooksey, 2018 Campaign Manager for Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds (June 17 at 12pm)

— Misty Rebik, Iowa Caucus Director of the Bernie Sanders 2020 presidential campaign (Date TBD)

— Janice Rottenberg, Iowa Caucus Director of the Elizabeth Warren 2020 presidential campaign (Date TBD)

“DMPS students are strongly encouraged to submit questions, and can register for free through the following link: bit.ly/youthvoiceforum,” reads the announcement. “Please be sure to register for more information on each forum — only registered students will be admitted into each session. You may connect with us on Facebook or Instagram with any questions.”

Taking to the streets in the midst of the twin crises of COVID-19 and civic protests demanding criminal justice reforms after the death of George Floyd while in the custody of Minneapolis police officers is one way to express civic concerns. Here’s another opportunity to directly address public officials with a variety of perspectives on those and related issues.

Brought to you by Fez Zafar and the Roosevelt Student Council.