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Utah students write to lawmakers for their shot at Hamilton tickets

Posted at 9:42 PM, Feb 14, 2018
and last updated 2018-02-15 08:26:04-05

SALT LAKE CITY -- Getting a ticket to see the musical Hamilton in Salt Lake City has not been easy.

For many, long waits online ended with the news the show was already sold out. But for Utah students, there is a glimmer of hope and all it takes is a single letter.

“I think it’s good that we write our Senators, our Representatives that we have,” said Daniel Jimenez, a senior at Brighton High School.

The contest is being held by New Nation Project, a state sponsored effort to teach young people about the country’s founding fathers. Every letter will enter a random drawing, and the winners will get to attend the musical on April 19th or 21st and they will go with one of their elected officials.

Buried in the letters students have sent so far are a wide range of issue important to young Utahns.

“Education reform. I noticed from my experience in high school a lot of the classes seem outdated,” said Nick Tygsen, a senior at Brighton High School.

“Air pollution. Pollution in general in Utah is something that affects us so much,” said Meg Flynn, a senior at Brighton High School.

“Me and my fellow friends who are fellow athletes can’t even breathe when we walk to our car. Like a quick walk leaves us out of breath,” said Madison Stratton, a senior at Brighton High School.

“I’ve had a lot of family members that have had cancer all over the world, Brazil, Mexico, Italy and I saw them through pain and chemo… Marijuana….it’s something that we need for medical patients,” said Daniel Jimenez, a senior at Brighton High School.

The chance to see Hamilton for free is certainly drawing some students into the contest. But regardless of the reason they entered, many students are finding the exercise in civic participation is driving a new view of their generation’s role in the future of politics.

“I think that every generation needs to step up,” said Isaac Reese, a senior at Brighton High School.

“You know it’s just one small act, it’s just a letter: But it is that first domino,” Stratton said.

“We want to see the problems that we have throughout the world fixed, and I think we just barely realized that we need to start getting involved if we want to fix it,” Jimenez said.

The contest ends February 20 at 9 a.m.