Virginia YMCA

--Zachery Mills, Spotswood High School On Thursday afternoon, after hours of riding on a crowded school bus, hundreds of students from all across the Commonwealth of Virginia poured into the famous city, and capitol, of Richmond, VA. Shortly after arriving, advisors received room keys, consequently sending students to their respective floors and rooms. After a few hours of relaxing and the consumption of a quick meal, the students convened in St. Pauls Episcopal Church for the delivery of an introduction address from the Model General Assembly Officers as well as Governor Bob McDonnell. Reminiscing on the past experiences, I now realize the value of the opportunity to witness and listen to the Governor of Virginia, which was certainly one of the many highlights of my 2010’s MGA. Following the MGA Officer’s closing statements, the first House and Senate committees assembled to report out and kill various bills. Surprisingly, the sessions began like middle-school dances, with little to n...

- Christy Vaught, Marion Senior High School This year at MGA was a new and exciting experience. In the previous year, I was a delegate in the House. This year I had the opportunity of being a reporter. I found this job really fulfilling. I was able to interview the Youth Governor, Zain Mohiuddin, and also helped cover a story on lobbyists. I believe reporting is an important part of the political world, because it allows people to become informed on candidates. This year I made many memories. For example, when we pulled into the parking lot of the Mariott, my bus driver hit a parked car. Don’t worry no one was in it. I’ve always been able to make new friends. MGA is a great opportunity to meet new people from around our state and get an inside view of the world of politics.

--Savannah Fender, Marion Senior High School Model General Assembly is not only an experience to become well educated about the government, but to also become a well rounded person. By well rounded, I am speaking of meeting new people and learning about new places and stories. So far I have meet all types of people from all around the state of Virginia. Even know we might live miles away we will exchange numbers and like Youth Governor Mohiuddin says, “we will become Facebook friends.” So come experience the fun and laughter that we have at MGA. Signing out, and remember… STAY CLASSY SAN DIEGO.

This year at MGA there was an interesting opportunity that some of this year’s students were able to participate in. On Saturday morning, appearing to come only minutes after the Inaugural Ball had ended and seconds after our heads hit our pillows, a group of students headed over to the Capitol Building at 6:15 in order to partake in a promotional tourism video directed by Tim Reid. Reid was actually born in Norfolk and, if you don’t recognize his name, played the father in “Sister, Sister” and William Barnett in “That 70’s Show.” This was clearly an exciting time for any of the girls who watched “Sister, Sister” in their elementary school days and any high school student who has held a special place in their heart for the senseless antics of Eric Forman (who hasn’t, really?). The purpose of this documentary was to promote the historical aspects of Virginia’s tourism industry, while inadvertently showing off the dedication of our high school students to our government. ...

As my last day at MGA arrives, I begin to look back on everything that has happened at my time spent here. My first day was pretty overwhelming; I was new to the whole experience. I walked in to the Marriott Hotel nervous and unknowing of what lies ahead of me. Don’t get me wrong, I was excited nonetheless. The hotel seemed to be swarming with new and returning students. Of course being a “newbie”, I was trying to take in all of my surroundings. I come from a small town where Wal*Mart is the most visited store, and your backyard was a forest extending for miles. The fast-paced city life was something I was not accustomed to. I was used to the calm life in the mountains, but I wasn’t going to let that hold me back. My first meeting was the only thing that frightened me the most. It wasn’t the teacher, or the other reporters in the room. It was the fact that I knew I had a lot of work ahead of me, and I wasn’t sure I could handle it. I know now that this was a misconception. With the hel...

Jack’s Point of View Ties, heels, and jackets are the only attire you see at MGA. Being a guy myself I would argue that we have it worse off. Wearing a hot suit around Richmond in late spring is less than optimal. As any guy knows, ties aren’t fun either. Who in their right mind would where a cloth noose around their neck if they didn’t have to? Also, you hear girls complaining about their shoes; men’s shoes are often uncomfortable as well. When girls wear heels they are making a choice to be in pain. There are certainly equally as dressy flats that would be very comfortable. The biggest difference between guys and girls in this context is that girl don’t have to wear suits, heels, or jackets. Emily’s Point of View Most girls will agree that picking out clothes for MGA is important. The price of looking good comes with a price but look at it this way. Guys wear suits which do not seem too bad; girls on the other hand wear skirts, dress, or suits. Ok, so girls have more of a varie...

A Legacy of Habeeb For many years the Habeeb family have been participants or even advisors at MGA. Mrs. Kathy Habeeb, the advisor at Faith Christian School, has had both her sons become prominent members here at MGA. Her son Scott was elected as Youth Governor in 1992 and years later his brother Greg was elected also as Youth Governor at the 1994 MGA. Since then Mrs. Habeeb has continued being involved in MGA and has brought her students for many years. Finally this year Mrs. Habeeb was able to greet her own grand-daughter at the same assembly her sons once attended. Now the daughter of MGA’s former Youth Governor is here, and we can only expect great things coming from a girl whose family has both supported and advanced this amazing weekend filled with government, friends, and personal growth. --Trevor Byrd

-Emily Caldwell and Leslie Lambert; Rural Retreat High School For the past two years (at least) at MGA it has rained at least one time between Thursday and Saturday, and this year was no exception. When we arrived in Richmond on Thursday the sun was shining, and the skies were clear. It was the perfect day to start MGA. Friday wasn’t much different. The morning started out a bit on the chilly side, but by midday the sun was pounding down on the Capital. The only difference between Thursday and Friday is that Friday was pretty windy, but that made it fell cooler outside which was nice. However, Saturday was determined not the break the MGA rain tradition, and it followed through with its threat. Saturday morning we opened up the curtains to see a dark sky. The city that had been eliminated by the sun the day before was now covered in a blanket of gray. Just before we left for the Capital Building the rain started coming down, and it officially completed the MGA experience. Luc...

--Sarah Ward, Turner Ashby High School As a first-timer at the Model General Assembly, I wasn’t exactly sure what to expect. I talked to some of my friends that had gone before and they reassured me that I would have tons of fun and that it would be a great experience. After we arrived on Thursday afternoon, I went to a reporter’s meeting to learn a little bit more about what my specific role would be for the weekend. From there, I met up with my group and went to the Joint Assembly in St. Paul’s Church. We were able to listen to people such Governor McDonnell and David Blount speak about MGA, plus hear from this year’s Youth Governor, Zain Mohiuddin. Earlier that day at the reporter’s meeting, my friend Zach and I had talked to the reporter advisor, Mrs. Tate, about writing a story about a controversial bill that my school was patroning regarding child pornography and a new trend among teens called “sexting”. In order to write a good article for the MGA Times about this bill, we went ...

Looking throughout the crowds of young people here at MGA, it’s obvious to see that many people will encounter each other in the future. In that, there are lots of JMU, Radford, Tech and UVa shirts and ties being worn throughout the entire conference. Lots of diversity among future plans of the young leaders of not only the Commonwealth of Virginia but the entire country exists however, that is the only form of diversity. An elephant stands in the room, in every committee meeting and at the banquet last night but nobody seemed to notice its quite large presence. Minorities, of all ethnicities, seem to have opted out of this wonderful program, but why? Perhaps it’s the cost of this program that not only minorities, but everyone as a whole considers to be higher as our economy continues to remain in trouble. Or maybe it’s the lack of advertisement within the schools to attract more people, not just minorities. Or, this being the more pragmatic reason, it just doesn’t appeal to us. But wh...

Sarah Davis, Indian River High School MGA was one of the best experiences of my life. My job as a reporter allowed me to interview many different people and help create a newspaper. MGA overall is such a great opportunity to experience the bill making process first hand. Although as a reporter I was not involved with much involving the bills themselves, it was such a great way to meet many new people and see what a career was like as a reporter. I arrived Thursday evening and immediately got to work and was assigned stories and candidates to interview. Friday, one of the most hectic days of my life, was very busy running around trying to find people and getting the paper printed before dinner. Luckily, with the great staff I was working with, we got it done in time and it was such an accomplished feeling to have and seeing your name in the paper really made all your work worthwhile. After dinner, a “ball” was held and it was crazy!!! I had so much fun and it was so funny how pe...

By: Mary Besecker- Chincoteague High School Well it’s the last day of MGA… The last MGA of my high school career… It wasn’t what I was expected. This was my third year as a reporter so I’m now exhausted and ready to relax a bit. I realized many things about people while I did have some time to kill… maybe it’s because I’m a future psychology major but people’s behaviors get quite wild when they’re away from their normal environment. Put a few well dressed guys and girls into rooms with each other for hours on end and…. Now many people may say that I’m just saying that because I’m trying to be mean or rude or I’m just ugly, but really think about it. Now think. Finally think of how many exchange numbers for all the wrong reasons. 20% of teenagers overall have sent or posted nude or semi-nude pictures or videos of themselves and 39% of all teenagers have sent or posted sexually suggestive messages (statistics from http://www.pcsndreams.com/Pages/Sexting_Statistics.html ). Pretty crazy hu...

I came to MGA this year for the first time not knowing what to expect. Everything from the opening ceremony at the church, to the dance last night has been a blast. Not only has it been an enjoyable experience, but it has also been a very rewarding learning experience. I learned an incredible amount more about the Virginia government from hands on experience than I ever have in the classroom before. Now that I know valuable information about my state’s government, I have a new appreciation for it. It is a lot of work and the responsibilities are not taken lightly. Not only have I had a great time and learned, but I have also met wonderful people who I would not have met otherwise. I thoroughly enjoyed working with everyone on the staff and getting to know them. MGA was an outstanding experience for me; I would recommend everyone to at least try it one year. I can’t wait to come back next year! Kaylor Duncan

(Anisha Choubey) Molly Banta-Trinity Episcopal Mary Besecker-Chincoteague Trevor Byrd-Faith Christian Emily Caldwell-Rural Retreat Anisha Choubey-Radford Sarah Davis-Indian River Kaylor Duncan-Radford Edith Enriquez-Arlington Savannah Fender-Marion Morgan Harvey-Radford Trent Johnson-Kecoughtan Jack Jordan-Faith Christian Leslie Lambert-Rural Retreat Nneka Lewis-Covington Zack Mills-Spotswood Devin Northam-Arcadia Erika Sosa-Arlington Natalie Tomlinson-Broadwater Christy Vaught-Marion Sarah Ward-Turner Ashbey

When we walked in the door, Zain Mohiuddin (pronounced Mo-he-uddin) was already hard at work. However, not many know exactly what this job entails. Luckily, he was able to spare a few minutes to answer a few questions from how he prepared for this position to his favorite music. Why do you think you were able to win the election last year? What pushed you over the edge? -All of us were the same and would have done a good job. Every one deserved to win. I got very lucky. How did you prepare for this position? -First, I got in touch with our staff and gave each person a different task. I asked them to research all the bills and see how we could work with them. What have you found to be the most difficult part of working in this position so far? -There are a lot of bills to look over and a lot of people to talk to. It’s hard to catch up on everything that is going on. Would you consider yourself more conservative or liberal? -I would definitely consider myself more conservative. What’s yo...

--Edith Enriquez, Arlington Career Center My name is Edith Enriquez and I’m from Arlington Career Center in Arlington Virginia. This is my first time attending the Model General Assembly as well as the first time for any school in Arlington to participate. My fellow students and I are discovering how much there is to learn even after working toward this date for months. Some things can only be learned by doing. Helping us all year long was one of our sponsors Leah Wallace. I wanted to find out from Ms. Wallace what some of her impressions were from this experience. I was surprised to find out that this was also her first time at the MGA. Nevertheless her skills in business and communications were valuable training for us in preparation for MGA. I accompanied her Thursday and Friday morning, watched her working with our students, and then asked some questions about her experience. Edith: How did you find/pick the Career Center for the MGA? Ms Wallace: The Career Center is a premier scho...

--Devin Northam, Arcadia High School --Christy Vaught, Marion Senior High School One of the biggest questions during MGA is what is a lobbyist? During our interview with a few of them, we got many different responses. Some of the male lobbyists said that they didn’t really do anything, and a lot of freedom came with the position. However, most of them said that the real role of a lobbyist is to persuade the committee members to kill or pass the bills in question. Wells Bridgeforth, who attends Trinity Episcopal School, said, “We do a lot of behind the scenes work.” Different techniques for persuasion used are keeping arguments until a decision is made. Samantha Ciniello and Logan Wright said, “Patrons try to get on our good side and we kind of run the debates of the bills that we lobby.” Many of the Lobbyists like their position because of the relaxed and laid-back pace that is kept throughout and the intriguing debates they have during committee. So now that you know what a lobb...

-Kaylor Duncan, Radford High School & Natalie Tomlinson, Broadwater Academy History has a way of repeating itself and MGA is no exception. In society, minorities have to be even more diligent and persistent than the common candidate when running for office. They have to speak eloquently, appeal to an unlikely majority, and most importantly, they have to withstand the test of time. Women have continually struggled to hold high government positions. In the sixty two years of previous MGA processes, there have only been six total female youth governors. The first was in 1957 and the most recent was in 1997. Needless to say, the number of female youth governors is extremely low. This year, there were four female candidates that ran for this position – Molly Greer, Victoria Price, Amanda Newman, and Annie Forrest. Forrest is now in the primaries running against Sam Baron, which is an incredible feat in itself. So what is it about women that make it so difficult to get elected? A portion...

-Leslie Lambert and Emily Caldwell, Rural Retreat High School Mark McGwire, a well-known baseball player finally revealed in 2010 that he used steroids while playing in MLB. He is currently 6th on the list of homeruns hit by a player in the Major Leagues. Barry Bonds currently holds the record of 762 homeruns hit in his career. Bonds has also been accused of taking steroids while playing baseball. However, Hank Aaron is second on the record list, having hit 755 homeruns, and he did not take steroids. Since steroid use became a big issue in professional sports, it has been a topic of great concern in high school sports as well. Graham High School proposed a bill this year at MGA concerning drug testing for high school athletes. Their bill wanted to make urine tests for high school athletes mandatory during the regular season of whatever sport, or sports, the athlete plays. Either the drug tests would be at random or planned, and be performed by the same d...

--Sarah Davis, Indian River High School --Nneka Lewis, Covington High School The Youth governor’s page, Edward Artis, is a freshman from Sussex High School. His job as the youth governor’s page is to run errands and bring information and notes from the chambers and committees to the youth governor. He also offers his opinion on bills, along with the rest of the youth governor’s staff. This is Edward’s first year at MGA and is enjoying his time and has made many new friends. He was recommended by one of the seniors at his high school for this job and although days can be hectic, Edward recommends this position because he says it is very fun and it teaches you a lot. Kayla Branson, a freshman from Brunswick High School, is an executive representative. When asked what her job was at MGA, she replied, “Basically I help balance the budget and deal with law enforcement.” This is Kayla’s first year at MGA and says that her job as executive representative is a “good job for freshmen.” Her pers...

As most of you have noticed, there are many different campaign strategies used to win supporters. Which were the most effective? Each of the twelve final candidates used the various approaches to the general masses. As many focused on meeting people at an individual basis, others used unique and weird tactics. Though making buttons, stickers, and t-shirts is usually restricted at MGA, there have been certain exceptions made this year. Some candidates such as, Amanda Newman from Rural Retreat, were uncertain about the exact campaigning policies and had already spent a significant amount of money on t-shirts. Trying to find a reasonable compromise, the “Go Amanda” shirts were allowed to be worn on the way to Richmond. When the students changed into their dress clothes, however, they were not allowed to change back into the promotion shirts. Another noticeable campaign strategy was the use of Turner Ashby’s Sam Baron and his singing talents. While his friend “Rivers” played the piano, Sam...

--Nneka Lewis, Covington High School --Sarah Davis, Indian River High School A big misconception many people have about legislators is that they work year round. Actually, the General Assembly only has session for sixty days and the rest of the year is spent by working normal jobs. Virginia’s legislature is a part time legislature and most have common jobs such as teachers, doctors, lawyers, and farmers when not in session. Not only is Bob Brinks a resource consultant for young adults attending MGA, he is also a part time state legislator. Even in his time off session, he is still working hard helping individuals. He feels it is hard to complete all work in just the 60 days the General Assembly is in session. The main job of the General Assembly is to make budgets and preview them so they are used correctly. In order to get all work completed, sub-committees are set up to meet once a month. Brinks is constantly working in committees before the General Assembly returns. When he was grow...

--Trent Johnson, Kecoughtan High School Last night, a young man by the name of Travis Joyce made a speech in the primaries to convince voters to select him for Senate President Pro Tempore. Short of his two minute speech, not much information about this young man was truly conveyed, which is a true shame. A junior at Carroll County High School, Travis, decided to run for the position because of his desire to contribute more to the MGA process then what just being a Senator can offer. His advisor Brenda Collins, along with his parents, gave him the moral support and motivation to succeed, and so far their advice is paying off. “You must believe you are capable of accomplishing your goals before you can convince others you can,” a proverb that not Travis embraces not only for his campaign but for an outlook on life. With respect to this position, he plans to bring quiet confidence and allow for the people to reach him easily, “I can reach my full potential in this position.” As future la...

--Trent Johnson, Kecoughtan High School A strong sense of warmth and approachability is the message that Brunswick Academy junior, Chelsea Whitman, plans to offer as Senate President Pro Tempora. By definition, Chelsea is a scholar, an athlete and a self-motivated person from very rural, Jarett, Virginia, however, she goes far outside and redefines this definition. Her motivation for running was to allow for “people to be able to talk and discuss ideas without worrying of being in an environment where ridicule is present.” Her smile, something that cannot be shown in a speech from a podium, adds to this overall theme of warmth that completely describes her personality. In her future after high school she hopes to follow in her mother’s footsteps, an inspiration for her, and own her own business, “I’ve always been a person who set goals for myself and accomplished them.” Her mission is simple, but its responsibility is great and with your help this evening she wants to achieve her goal ...

-Trevor Byrd: Faith Christian School Although interested in government, Ryan Olmstead has no plans of government in his future. He would like to take a leadership role at MGA. When asked why he wanted to run for Speaker of the House Pro Tempore, he replied, “I want to be able to tell people what to do”. This caught me off guard and I merely thought he had miss spoken, yet later in his interview he came back to this same point. When asked what his favorite Harry Potter Spell was he said it was the lock spell. Although this seems very opinionated, I would like to share some information about him, which he shared with me. Ryan enjoys the outdoors and goes outside to relax. His favorite color is green, green being the color of grass. He does not have a favorite television show because he does not have cable, but luckily his favorite geography teacher keeps him up-to-date on current events. Ryan’s favorite band is R.E.M. When I asked what he believed was th...

Monica Pollard is from Faith Christian School in Roanoke and is running for House Speaker Pro Tempor. Being from Roanoke, Monica can understand a lot about the city, but also a lot about the country. She would like to earn this position because in her words it’s a “great opportunity”, and she would “enjoy serving” her fellow students. She wants to be open minded and willing to listen even if she does not agree with a bill. She would advise anyone running be themselves and to be ready to work. Although she struggles with her math sometimes, as a whole Monica withholds a high standard of excellence in her grades. Monica says she looks to her late father for inspiration because “he never stopped believing in [her]”. She also thanks all of her teachers for their support. On a more personal level Monica’s favorite color is lime green. Even though her musical taste is girly, Michael Buble, you would be surprised that she can out burp just about anyone. Her favorite television show is Glee...

Josh Conway from the Great Bridge/ Hickory YMCA is running for House Speaker for the 2011 Model General Assembly. He’s never really realized that he wanted to run for office until he randomly started to write his speech at last year’s MGA. Josh is quoted as saying,”I’m running because I want to be a part of a diverse experience.” His former Hi-Y Team Coordinator is his inspiration mainly because she was a good with people which rubbed off on him. Josh gave a little advice for others running for office he’s quoted as as follows, “Just do it! Try not to be afraid and not to worry because no one’s perfect… win or lose you’ll still have a great time.” Josh is from southern Virginia in the Chesepeake, Norfolk area and it’s made an impact on him because he can come here and learn more about the experiences from the other students from across the state. Josh openly admitted that he is some what of a nerd. He plays videogames, soccer, reads, and a game called magic. To relax he’ll play cards...

By Devin Northam, Arcadia High School James Ramey, who attends Graham High School, is running for House Speaker Pro Tempore. He is from Bluefield, Virginia and doesn’t think that his hometown has anything to do with his character except his southern accent. His personality is very versatile and can adapt to any type of situation. He can be stern when it comes to things such as committee meetings and relaxed when just hanging out with his friends. He feels that he is best for the job, outspoken enough to correct things, and enjoys MGA a lot. He plans to be a fair Speaker of the House and listen to each patron’s argument. The person that inspires him most would be Coach Marrs because he is a really good history teacher and has been a family friend since James was in the ninth grade. The advice that James would give to anyone running for an office would be not to mess up, be confident, and be yourself. In his spare time, James is a big outdoorsman and enjoys playing golf. His all...

-Trevor Byrd: Faith Christian School Alicia Sexton, future lieutenant governor, is an outspoken and strong-willed woman. When asked the reason for her running, she responded, “I would love to pursue a career in government”, furthermore on the idea of her future, she plans to become a lawyer and eventually she would like to join the U. S. Congress. She is strong-willed and yet open to others opinions, she promises to strive for fairness for every participant and she wishes for everyone to be heard. Her background begins in small town Coeburn and is also formed by her hard-working mother. Alicia’s told me in her interview that her mother is one of her biggest inspirations. She tells me that her mother started with very little and through much hard work and countless hours her mother took on a career in healthcare. To let you know a little more about Alicia, her favorite television show is House and to relax she enjoys playing her drums. Alicia’s favorite color is red. Every color has a m...

-Anisha Choubey and Morgan Harvey Radford High School Running for Lieutenant Governor, Erin Greene of Spotswood is motivated to help and make a difference and impact on lives and the world. Greene thinks she should be elected because she is a very approachable person, available to talk to for questions and comments. She wishes to bring increased equality and higher education and tuition assistance to the job. When asked for advice to give someone else running for office, Greene said “be confident, enjoy the time you have, and go make friends and meet people.” Beyond academics Greene enjoys other activities as well. She likes to play tennis and volleyball, travel, visit friends, and spend time with family. Greene appreciates her small hometown on the outskirts of Harrisonburg. She enjoys the close connections between the people that allow her to learn new ideas and characteristics of diverse people. When relaxing, Greene reads and listens to all kinds of music. Random favorites include ...

-Natalie Tomlinson, Broadwater Academy As a candidate for Attorney General, Victoria Long has always held her home close to her heart. The Eastern Shore of Virginia is a remote peninsula dividing the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic (if you’ve never heard of it, you’re probably not the only one). It is an agrarian community that survives solely off of the commitments of its citizens, the close-knit relationships extending through every family, and the harmony of humanity and nature. Victoria’s family of ten represents this community in microcosm, and as a result of these parallel factors, she has always been known for her inherent leadership and intuitive understanding. The decision for Victoria to run was instinctive, as her older sister has held the position of Attorney General and shared her own sensational memories. When asked who her role model is, Victoria quickly responded with this same sister, whose leadership abilities and persistence have modeled the same attributes that she ...

-Leslie Lambert and Emily Caldwell- Rural Retreat High School Ryan Hall is an upbeat, enthusiastic junior at Covington High School in Covington, VA. Ryan is the candidate from the western part of the state for the office of Attorney General. Covington is a small town of about 6,120 people, and Ryan says that living in such a small town has pushed him to work harder in order to someday be able to leave the town. He plays football and basketball for the Covington Cougars. Outside of school he enjoys hanging out with his friends and helping with charitable organizations such as the Salvation Army. He also helps with the Christmas Mother program which gives Christmas presents to those less fortunate, and he is active in his church. He is a normal teenage boy who likes playing his Xbox in order to relax. His favorite TV show is “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air,” because, “It adds humor with situations that families may face in real life.” When asked what his favorite color was Ryan laughe...

By: Kaylor Duncan- Radford High School Annie Forrest from Richland High School is running for the office of youth governor. Forrest decided to run because she had nothing to lose and she aspires to have a similar career. She started campaigning on the elevators when first arriving yesterday. If elected, she plans to bring a female perspective and her personality to the job. While laughing, she said, “The government needs some color. “ Her inspiration is mainly herself because she thinks that your self confidence is what matters the most. She also stated that bible verses inspire her as well. She advises people running for office to not get nervous and just go with the flow. Her strong confident attitude has its roots from her hometown of Richlands. She said, “Since I am from a small town, I am sheltered but it also empowers me. I feel like I can do anything that I set my mind to.” Forrest is involved in many activities. She is part of the cross country, soccer, and scholastic teams...

By Devin Northam- Arcadia High School When speaking with Youth Governor Candidate Samuel Baron, he was very sincere and friendly. He attends Turner Ashby High School as a junior and is Lebanese. He is from Bridgewater, Virginia and wants to have his name recognized. He is running for Youth Governor because he feels that he has the leadership skills and wants to work among others while learning the stories of their experiences. If elected, he plans to bring an Open Office Policy, bring security, and gains the knowledge of the other participants in the Model General Assembly. His biggest inspiration would be his grandfather, or Gidu as said in Lebanese. His grandfather has urged him run for governor for the last thirteen years of his life. His grandfather is ninety-nine years old and if elected he would dedicate his term to his Gidu. When running for office, his best advice was to be yourself and not worry about others opinions. Although Politics would be his passion, ...

-- Sarah Ward, Turner Ashby High School --Zach Mills, Spotswood High School On Thursday night, the Old Dominion Senate Courts of Justice Committee advanced a bill to amend current penalties for creating, possessing, or sharing child pornography. According to Justia.com, current repercussions for a minor involved in a sexting violation result in a Class 6 felony. The bill hopes to amend these consequences by exempting individuals from these charges if the “direct recipient of the [sexual] material is between the ages of 13 and 18 and provides consent prior to the delivery of the material.” Originating from Turner Ashby High School, the bill, proposed by Old Dominion Senator Sadie Allen, was inspired by the enormous amount of publicity in the news and the harsh felony punishments for the teenagers found convicted. Senator Allen believes teenagers should not receive the status as a sex offender because the infamous title would carry with the person for his or her entire life. Furthermore,...

--Trent Johnson, Kecoughtan High School --Savannah Fender, Marion High School For the longest time it has been a rumor as well as a proven fact, slightly exploded by large amounts of media coverage, that persons who receive benefits from the government such as unemployment, food stamps and Welfare often also abuse illegal substances. Solutions to this problem have been often discussed in local establishments and by other grassroots movements however, no formal steps have been taken with respect to legislative activity regarding this topic, until now. Commonwealth Senate Bill NO. 18 introduced a solution to this very problem by proposing a plan to enact a random drug testing policy to receive government assistance. Austin Collier from Kecoughtan High School served as patron to this bill to the Committee on Local Government, with surprising results. The plan would include random urinalysis drug test focusing on marijuana, cocaine, barbiturates, methamphetamines and amphetamines. The foll...

“Our bus driver backed up into a brick wall in a parking garage.” -Rural Retreat “Our bus driver hit a parked car in the parking lot of the Marriott.” -Marion Senior High “Two of our chaperones rode in luxury vehicles behind the bus, while we rode on the cramped school bus.” -Chincoteague and Arcadia “We had to go to school all day since we live in Richmond.” -St. Gertrude “We ate at Quiznos and Chick-fil-A.” -Broadwater “We got trucks to honk their horns at us, while taking embarrassing pictures of people while they slept.” -Kecoughtan “On both sides of us were signs that said “Right Turn Only.” We still took a left turn.” -Castlewood Student Advice from a Kenston Forrest student: o Applebee’s and driving do not mix o Don’t drive in the bus lane in Richmond o Don’t enter an exit “We didn’t get into our room until 5:00 PM and our room keys didn’t even work.” -Brunswick Academy “Our van driver ran two stop lights.” -Indian River

“Great Power Yields Great Responsibility” -Mary Besecker, Chincoteague High School Students from around the great state of Virginia swarmed Richmond on April 14th for the 2010 Model General Assembly. Bruce F. Jamerson, the clerk for the House of Delegates, then proceeded to swear in the senators and delegates. Robert Brink, the chairman of the MGA Committee, addressed us with an interesting exercise using Virginia’s six area codes. He then gave us a quick introduction and bio of Governor McDonnell. The 71st Governor of Virginia, Governor Robert F. McDonnell then took the stage and warmly welcomed us to our state’s capital. He then proceeded to apologize for his dress, he had just been to the Flying Squirrels baseball game to throw the first pitch, and then he was off to his son’s soccer game. He continued to encourage us to do our best and walk away from MGA with a better understanding about our state government. After the Governor was finished, our 2010 Youth Governor presented his in...