Who's Who?

By -

--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 personality can reflect in her job because she is good at arguing and making her point. Kayla also stated, “At first MGA is a lot to take in, but it is such a great experience.”

Mitchell Freitas is a student at Stone Bridge High School who has returned to MGA as a senator. His job as senator is to present his bill, open debates, and answerer any questions regarding his bill. Last year Mitchell was a delegate and a patron. When asked which job he prefers more, Mitchell laughed and replied, “Well last year as delegate I had a seat and full desk and this year I only have a pew.” Even though he doesn’t have a full desk, he still takes pleasure in his job as senator and he feels his highly conservative views are reflected in his job.

Emily Newman, a junior from Indian River High School, was a senator last year but has returned this year to be a delegate. Emily speaks on bills and contributes her opinions to the legislative process. As a delegate this year, she prefers it more than her former position because there is more diversity and variety. She is a very loud, bubbly, and outgoing person and believes this reflects in her role as delegate. She also enjoys the professional atmosphere at MGA and believes this is a great experience for everyone who wants to learn more about the state legislative process. Emily stated, “MGA is a great experience and everyone should have the opportunity to see how real bills are created and sometimes eventually passed.”

Even though this is her first year, Amanda Byer from Covington High School chose to be in the midst of all the action. She is one of the many lobbyists who get to persuade their opinion, although they have no voting power. Amanda likes to watch the different points of view be debated and discussed. Amanda states, “I recommend people who like to voice their opinion to participate as soon as possible.”

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

No Drugs to Help Get Back on His Feet

By -
--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...
Read more

CONA Delegation Profiles 2019: Cameron Mears

By -
Cameron Mears is attending Nandua High in the fall as a Junior. This was his first time at MGA so it will also be his first time at CONA. His proposal regulates artificial intelligence, restricting AI from spreading personal information without the consent of the owner. This also means that personal information cannot be put out to the public or sent out to various sources without the owner of the information allowing, which would positively impact the US because it would mean that the citizens’ information would be safe. Cameron is most excited to meet people from all over the country, which is convenient because CONA allows a wonderful opportunity for that. Cameron believes programs and events such as MGA and CONA to be important because they show a representation of the people who will be in the government in the future, and it also helps youths exercise their passion for politics. When asked what the title of his “life movie” would be, Cameron responded: “You Deserve What You Earn....
Read more

Just a Few Observations

By -
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...
Read more