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...