NAZARETH, Pa. – In his five-minute documentary, “Lines of Power,” Nazareth High School junior Adhitiya Adavan explores what he feels challenges the enduring power of the Declaration of Independence.
“Gerrymandering is the process of manipulating the boundaries to favor one political party over another,” he says in the video.
Out of 1,800 national submissions, the 16-year-old received one of 87 honorable mentions in the annual C-SPAN StudentCam documentary competition.
He found out Wednesday through a text message during a test at school.
“I got home, and then I told my mom, and then she was really happy for me and I think, I think that’s when I really started to process what had just happened,” he said.
In honor of America 250, students had to show how the values of the founding fathers touch on contemporary issues impacting communities today.
For Adavan, who is also on the school’s mock trial team and a representative in the high school Model United Nations, his worldview expanded by finding and interviewing experts.
“What I learned is I do have this credibility when I’m suddenly cold-emailing someone, asking them for their opinion on this topic, which I didn’t know I had before. It was very interesting to me,” he said.
The project was part of AP history teacher Patricia Cunningham’s curriculum. Cunningham says the “greatest generation” may still come.
“I think a lot of times we talk about the next generation as if they aren’t a hope for the future, but that’s just not true. They have all the potential, all the ability,” Cunningham said.
For Adavan, that includes the motto that all are created equal and that the vote should reflect that.
“The true change comes from the people and not the politicians,” the teen said.