April 4, 2005

Students tackle video game violence

High school students from across California will participate in a press conference to discuss violent video games at 11 a.m. on Thursday, April 7 at the State Capitol room 1190. The students were selected through a statewide essay contest in which they were asked their views on the impact of violent video games and related state legislation.

Assemblyman Leland Yee, D-San Francisco, will answer questions from the students. Yee is the author of AB 1793, a bill signed into law last fall that requires video game vendors to display information about a video game rating system. Paula Gardner of Sacramento State’s College of Education will moderate, and more than 100 classes will watch the meeting on the California Channel or on videotape.

The press conference is part of a daylong Student Legislative Summit sponsored by the LegiSchool Project, a civic education partnership between Sacramento State and the State Legislature, administered by the Center for California Studies. The project is designed to familiarize students with the legislative process and to offer a forum for young people to discuss on public policies that may impact their lives.

The essay contest winners include: John Andersen, Upland High; Amber Cannon, El Segundo High; Michael Chang, Irvine High; Florence Kwo, Lowell High, San Francisco; Daniel McNaught, San Clemente High; Juan Jose Pedroza, Upland High; Lauren Vanga, Upland High; Tiffany Wang, Burlingame High; Stephanie Whitchurch, Fortuna High; Andrea Wong, El Segundo High; and Andrew Wong, Lowell High, San Francisco.

More information is available by contacting the Center for California Studies at (916) 278-6906. Media assistance is available by calling the University’s public affairs office at (916) 278-6156.

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