Diversity at MGA By: Tariq Thomas

At MGA, diversity is key. As with the General Assembly (GA), MGA is designed to represent the diverse and varied population of Virginia. One of the places that diversity stems from is race and ethnic background. Although inequality and pay gaps are still major problems that must be addressed, the GA is surprisingly representative of the actual population of Virginia. Based on data gathered from both the Secretary of the Commonwealth and the US Census Bureau the percent representation each sex and race in the GA is roughly equivalent to that ethnic groups prevalence in Virginia. Based on the data, the most underrepresented group by the GA is Latinos.

	General Assembly	Population of Virginia
Gender
Male	47.91%	49.2%
Female	45.51%	50.8%
Other/ undisclosed	6.58%	0%
Race
African American	17.98%	18.9%
Asian/Pacific Islander	4.97%	6%
Caucasian	51.32%	63.1%
Latino	3.22%	8.7%
Other/ undisclosed	22.52%	4.3%

This shows that the GA, at least when it comes to race, is relatively diverse and representative of the state of Virginia.

But diversity not only stems race and ethnic background, but also from the different perspectives and worldviews that different people hold. When asked what she was doing to support diversity at MGA, Youth Governor Anna Sexauer stated,

“When I picked my staff I made sure to pick a wide range of people, and not just ideology based but also gender. I wanted as much diversity in my cabinet as I could.[...] I made sure that urban as well as rural areas in Virginia would be covered. That people that have in the past expressed democrat and republican sentiments would be on my cabinet.”

In his speech at the opening joint session, Governor Ralph Northam also emphasized diversity, both of ethnicities and ideas.

“Our society is becoming more diverse by the day and it is that diversity that makes the commonwealth and makes our country as great as it is. And so we must always remember that we need to be inclusive in virginia. It shouldn't matter one's sexual orientation. It shouldn't matter the color of your skin, the country that you come from, or the religion that you practice. We are all gods’ people, and that means that we need to welcome people to the commonwealth of Virginia, our lights need to be on and our doors need to be open.”

When asked about her stance on Mr. Northam’s statements, Ms. Sexauer replied,

“I absolutely agree with his sentiments on that and I think that diversity is what strengthens a community and a society. [...] I think MGA is one of the places, the rarer places that embraces diversity to the fullest and really builds upon it and I think that that is one of the highlights and the strengths of the program, and that it is something that we need to continue.”

Diversity really is crucial to MGA. The point of MGA is to generate thought provoking ideas, reactions, and encounters that will shape a person's worldview. When a bill is proposed, it is not only the bill which is examined. The conditions which necessitate such legislation to be introduced are examined, as well as those conditions that may impact the intended effect of the bill. MGA is a place for people to share ideas, experiences, and beliefs with others in a setting where those concepts are not only listened to but explored, not only conceptualized but examined, and not only debated but understood. As the world grows ever smaller, our understanding of each other must grow to fill the void.

Works Cited

Thomasson, Kelly. “RD542 - Annual Report on the Demographics of Persons Appointed.” Office of the Governor, 2017, rga.lis.virginia.gov/Published/2017/RD542. Accessed 23 March 2018.

U.S. Census Bureau. “ACS Demographic And Housing Estimates.” American FactFinder, factfinder.census.gov/faces/tableservices/jsf/pages/productview.xhtml?src=CF. Accessed 23 March 2018.

Should We Teach Diversity Awareness In Schools? By: Tariq Thomas

As the world become increasingly more interconnected and diverse, a question arises; should we teach diversity and cultural awareness? Statistics from the Virginia Department of Health and the US Census Bureau show that Virginia, and indeed the rest of the US, are getting more and more diverse with each passing year. (“Virginia Population Estimates.”;“QuickFacts Virginia.”)These changes are not expected to slow, and because of this many are wondering; how can we adapt to better support diversity and culture awareness in our communities?

This question is not new, in fact many colleges and businesses have tried to answer it by offering, and in some cases requiring, that their students, teachers, or employees complete some level of diversity awareness training. This year Maria Cox of Shady Grove YMCA created HB6, a proposal to amend and reenact § 22.1-253.13:4 of the Code of Virginia in order to mandate this sort of diversity awareness training. Her bill would require all students to take a free one semester class on “embracing cultural diversity and sensitivity”. When asked why she thought that this important, Ms. Cox replied:

Everyone is different in this commonwealth, we have different opinions, genders, ethnicities and cultures. These differences are what make our country unique and these differences are the reasons we have advancements in technology, the arts, the economy, engineering, and society. But these differences are not embraced. They are constantly categorized and seperated due to the media, racial bias, prejudice, and not having an open mind. This can change, and it all begins with education.

Her bill passed its committee meeting with universal support, but seemed to lose much of its support during the commonwealth house chamber meeting. The bills detractors did not oppose the underlying idea of diversity sensitivity training proposed, in fact the idea seemed to be almost universally welcomed, but delegates did find issues with the wording and structure of the bill. Delegates pointed out that the bill did not specify what grade or grades would be required to take this class, nor did it specify what the curriculum or requirements for teachers of the class would be. Because of the vague wording of the bill, it was rejected during the chamber meeting.

Works Cited

“QuickFacts Virginia.” U.S. Census Bureau census.gov/quickfacts/VA. Accessed 23 March 2018.

“Virginia Population Estimates.” Virginia Department of Health., vdh.virginia.gov/data/demographics/. Accessed 23 March 2018.

Commonwealth House Bill No. 2 By: Karyssa Lang

The Commonwealth House Bill NO. 2, Rape Bill, will be increasing the minimum sentence for a perpetrator. The current minimum sentence of a rapist is five years. Kathryn Perdue, the patron of this bill, believes that the sentence should be increased because the perpetrator was “mentally scared.” In the chambers there was a lot of argument referring to the problem of overcrowding, early releases on good behavior, and the fact that currently, the average number of years a rapist gets sentenced to eleven years.

In the interview with the patron of the bill, Kathryn Perdue, discussion centered around the hottest topic argued in the chambers, which was the fact that currently a rapist can and will be sentenced to a minimum of five years, but can be released early on parole for good behavior. The patron said “if I was to redo the amendment I would still increase the minimum sentencing of a rapist, but would also add an amendment to secure that the rapist will follow through with his/ her minimum sentence of ten years.”

Even with all the arguments, Kathryn was very happy this morning to hear that her bill had been passed during the Commonwealth House session.

School Safety Bills in the Wake of the Parkland, Florida Shooting By: Audrey Lewis

On February 14, 2018, a shooting at Stoneman-Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida shook the nation and the world. As of March 20, there have been seventeen school shootings in the United States during 2018 (CNN). United States Citizens watch in shock as school shootings occur and no legislation is passed in response. Students across the nation have taken this opportunity to stand up and make their voices heard with the “March for Our Lives,” #NeverAgain movement (March for Our Lives).

On March 24, students and families will “take to the streets to demand that their lives and safety become a priority” (March for Our Lives). This is only one drop in the bucket of student response to violence in schools across the United States. At Model General Assembly this year, there are many bills that include aspects of gun control and school safety. Such bill patrons, like Gabriel Edwards, Diana Hall, and Max Snead think that by presenting these bills at MGA they are playing an active role in the nationwide fight for safer schools.

Gabriel Edwards and Diana Hall, a senator and a representative respectively from Kecoughtan High School, have a bill that includes reformed lockdown drills in case of a potential or active threat. Senator Diana Hall stated, “right now, there is nothing in place to even start the thinking process of what would happen” in the case of a school shooting. When asked what role he thinks the bill plays in today’s climate towards school safety, Representative Gabriel Edwards said, “it would get attention, not only in Virginia but I think across the nation as to showing how prepared we as Virginians are.” Finally, Diana Hall expressed her pride in our generation for “being the first to speak up, because this has happened for too long.”

Senator Max Snead from East Rockingham High School introduced a bill yesterday which would outlaw the “purchase, sale, and transfer” of bump stock in Virginia. According to the New York Times, a “‘bump stock’ replaces a rifle’s standard stock, which is the part held against the shoulder. It frees the weapon to slide back and forth rapidly, harnessing the energy from the kickback shooters feel when the weapon fires” (New York Times). Senator Snead expressed how bump stocks “don’t really have a practical use in our society.” When asked what role he thinks his bill plays in today’s society, Senator Snead responded, “there are many other people out there, congressional leaders, proposing bills like this… the president supports it, the NRA supports it… there’s lot of support around the nation on this.”

In the wake of the Parkland, Florida shooting this February and the sixteen other school shooting incidents that took place this year alone, MGA students stand together under the message that we need safe schools for students and faculty alike. Whether they are eliminating bump stock or reforming school lockdown drills, the youth legislators at this year’s Model General Assembly are passionate about making sure the Commonwealth of Virginia, and the nation, are safer.

CNN https://www.cnn.com/2018/03/02/us/school-shootings-2018-list-trnd/index.html

March for Our Lives https://event.marchforourlives.com/event/march-our-lives-events/search/?source=ggnp_mfl_na&utm_source=gg_na_&utm_medium=_p&utm_campaign=mfl_na

New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/10/04/us/bump-stock-las-vegas-gun.html

The Position of Senators at MGA. By Abigail Arquette

The Position of Senators at MGA

Abigail Arquette

One of the most important roles at Model General Assembly is that of being a senator. As senators, participants represent their delegations in ways such as presenting bills, speaking in Senate committees and on the floor of the Senate. Even though senators are not allowed to enter the floor of the House of Delegates, they still work with the HoD to work on bills. The senator that was interviewed also happened to be a bill patron this year and she spoke about how she enjoyed that experience and about how it was such a fun and interesting experience. She also mentioned how she learned a lot from it and if she were to do it again she believed she could do a better job.

    To further learn about the position of Senator, multiple MGA senators was interviewed. Upon reflecting on their view of the position, one of the senators said: “we listen to many different bills, and debate them as well as adding amendments”. When asked about the most interesting bills presented, one of the senators described important bills on major topics such as the death penalty, mandatory sign language for VA schools, and the prevention of discrimination. This role of debating and presenting bills adds up to be one of the most important jobs at MGA.

Prohibtion on Masks: Senate Bill No.21

Prohibition of Masks: Senate Bill No. 21

John McGrath

3-24-2018

   

    At MGA, students are incredibly interested in the safety, as seen by bills such as Senate Bill No. 21, which proposes the  prohibition of wearing masks in certain places.

When examining the arguments for/against this bill, a major point of contention was holiday masks. The Bill Patron explained that this bill does not apply to traditional holiday costumes, which includes people over the age of 16 participating in or accompanying “Trick or Treating” during Halloween. Another point of debate was protective gear, to which the Bill Patron explained that this bill would not apply to wearing protective masks that are necessary for physical safety of the wearer. This bill would also not apply to people attending masquerade balls or theatrical production. The proposed penalty for violating this law is conviction of a class 6 felony.

    Bill patron Justin Hall states “ I came up with this bill to protect the people of Virginia from being robbed, mugged, and to decrease the burglaries. I want people to walk around and not have to worry about masked criminals.” This law would not be in affect in the declaration of a disaster or state of emergency by the Governor. Justin Hall also said “ The punishment is for harsh for this violation because it would be another reason for a burglar to not rob people. They’ll just face a longer sentence.”

"Lobbyists of the Senate" By: Aariana Maynard

According to Current Lobbyist Henry Boyle, the job of being a lobbyist is unlike any other. The lobbyist involves presenting argument and counter arguments for a specific bill. It is the lobbyist job to sway and or influence the vote for the better. When asked how being a lobbyist is Boyle states, “it is definitely interesting, being able to be behind the lines of all the people who have the voice; it is also interesting to observe those who agree with you and telling what can be said in support of a bill.” Also, Boyle states it is great to have influence without the front line working of say a bill patron, senator, or delegate.

            Why become a lobbyist? YOU should become a lobbyist because involves the same amount of research, however does not require the vote of one who may not underhand the interworking’s of a bill or have little background involving a bill. Current Lobbyist Henry Boyle shares a word of advice for those who desiring to be a lobbyist as he says “Use the words and the research you have done to the best of your ability, one may never know what influence their words might have for the future generations.”

"Old Dominion House Bill No. 60" By: Ryah Aziz

The Old Dominion House Bill No. 60 discusses how all public schools should incorporate a lock-down drill at least twice during the first 20 school days of each school year. This bill has the intentions to take the necessary precautions to protect children in school.  This bill is aiming to prepare teachers to protect their students by giving them adequate training and providing them with the life-saving knowledge that they may not have had. Training sessions are up to the schools' discretion, but at least one session is mandatory to be held in the first 20 days of the school year in accordance with the lock-down drills.

It is mentioned multiple times by the bill patron, Diana Hall from Kecoughtan High School says that this bill is “Not about arming teachers in schools.” This became a heated discussion among the patrons, some believing that this bill was about arming teachers. Hall shut down any deliberation on the topic by explaining and reiterating how the bill was about training teachers to be prepared to handle a situation where the presence of any potentially dangerous persons, in the possession of a firearm is on school grounds. Hall also explained some examples of protection teachers would be trained to perform. Those consisted of barricading doors with desks and shelves and having teachers be well informed on the procedure of taking care of a gunshot wound.

         Why this bill? “Nothing is being done currently,” said Hall. Due to an excessive amount of unfortunate events not only this year but throughout our history, many see additional safety precautions as essential in public school systems. More than one member brought up the past school shootings in their arguments, and this obviously shows how paramount the situation is. Some of the shootings mentioned were the Columbine Massacre of 1999, The Sandy Hook School Shooting of 2012, and lastly one of the more recent shootings, the Stoneman Douglas High School shooting which took place just this year. The Douglas shooting seemed to be the start of a new fight against school shootings and gun violence. A young girl, Sarah DeSouza  spoke to The New Yorker  on the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School saying “It inspired me to do something to contribute.”

         On this topic, the media has played a large role in providing voices for adolescents looking to speak out and represent what they believe in. There have been numerous marches in support of banning firearms and marches in support of the schools that have endured these shootings. The media is the platform that young people can use to share their opinions, and it has been used to do just that. The media has taken a role in the proposal of this bill because without being informed through media sources, the current events surrounding school safety would not be as relevant.

         When asked about how the classes will be administered, it was said that power points could be shown through the local police department, as well as lessons. The cost was not mentioned, though the bill patron did mention that the classes would most likely be provided from a voluntary stance. This seemed to win the majority of the patrons over, and the bill was successful in the first round of debate. Ana Sofia Uro-De Leon spoke about the issue passionately. “I don’t think there is anything wrong with preparing them for the worst. This isn’t about gun control. No harm comes from preparing” said Uro-De Leon when being asked about why she felt so strongly on the bill.