Attitude for MGA 2018 By: Ryah Aziz

            Model General Assembly 2018 has commenced and everyone is busy preparing themselves in order to be successful in their positions. There is a wide variety of bills being introduced this year, their topics ranging from abortion to marijuana.

Due to the vast assortment of bills being presented this year, there will be many varying opinions. The success of the bills is so far unknown, but when interviewed, patrons feel confident in their bills. “I feel confident my bill will at least evoke debate. I’m looking forward to seeing a broad range of perspectives and ideas on the content. Whether or not the bill passes is my secondary concern. I am sure that my fellow bill patron and I will have a successful bill,” said Sophie Ahmed, a delegate whose bill concerns adultery, when asked if she was confident in her bill.

There was also a large scenic change this year in terms of residence noted by past members of Virginia’s annual Model General Assembly. This year, the assembly is being held at the Hilton Hotel in Richmond, VA. Since the scene was changed this year, it can only be expected that past participants expect something different from Model General Assembly this year. Tsomo Naranbayar, a lobbyist from Washington-Lee High School says, “I hope to see students with a lot of different views and ideas this year at MGA.”

This ties into what Governor Ralph Northam said today at St. Paul’s Church. He discussed how Model General Assembly is very diverse and having a group that is a key part of a good experience at Model General Assembly. Overall, everyone is very excited for MGA 2018 and the potential successes in store!