de:		U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders <Info_Sanders@sanders.senate.gov

A Great Youth Chess Day in Randolph

A Great Youth Chess Day in Randolph   Dear Fellow Vermonter, This past Saturday 180 young people from around our state joined me and my staff at the Vermont State University in Randolph for our fourth annual Youth Chess Day. It was a great turnout and a great day. Young chess players fill the gym in Randolph In the morning, students new to the game had the opportunity to learn and hone their skills from mentors from the UVM Chess Club, Middlebury College Chess Club, as well as chess experts Michelle Sagalchik, Eric Hutchins and Trevor Plizga. I thank them all very much for their help. After lunch, kids of all ages sat behind chess sets throughout the gym, shook hands and began playing. Quite a sight. The winners in the three age categories were: Wilder Bernstein, Isaac Bloom, Nolyn Combs (1st-3rd grade winners). Harsha Chadive, Ava Duzgalski, Henry Gallo (4th-5th grade winners). Blake Bentley, Vivek Chadive, William Clere (6th-12th grade winners). Shake hands and come out playing Chess is a game that originated thousands of years ago in India and is played throughout the world. It demands focus and mental discipline and requires players to develop strategy and a response to changing situations. At a time when attention spans are in decline, and when kids spend too much time on their screens, these are important intellectual skills that need to be strengthened in our younger generation. And, not unimportantly, playing chess is a lot of fun. An intense game for the championship Here is what some of the kids and parents had to say: "It’s important because you need to use your mind here, and actually think. Think about the moves, the game and what your opponent is doing." — Raghu from South Burlington, VT  “As a former teacher and homeschooling mom, it’s really important for my children to learn critical thinking, strategy, problem solving, frustration tolerance, patience and cooperation. We have always leaned into chess. We’ve encouraged them to play because it is a game that helps encourage all of those skills." — Alanna from Killington, VT To all the young Vermonters who participated: great job and keep it up. To any student interested in playing chess, I encourage you to ask your school or local library about how to start a club or meet-up group.   I’m already looking forward to next year’s event.  Sincerely,   How Can We Help? My Vermont offices have experienced caseworkers on staff who help Vermonters navigate federal agencies every day. If you think my office can help, please do not hesitate to call 1-800-339-9834 or click here.  If you would like to share your thoughts on pending legislation, or if you have an idea that we could address through new legislation, click here.  Receiving this email as a forward? Click here to sign up for the Bernie Buzz. Office Locations Washington D.C. U.S. Senate 332 Dirksen Building Washington, DC 20510 tel (202) 224-5141 fax (202) 228-0776 Burlington 1 Church St., Suite 300 Burlington, VT 05401 tel (802) 862-0697 tel (800) 339-9834 fax (802) 860-6370 Unsubscribe Click here to forward this email