MGA Then and Now By: Alex Ballard

The Model General Assembly program has been around since 1948. While many things have undoubtedly changed throughout the years in order to make MGA run smoother or to benefit the experience of the students who come to participate in this three-day simulation of the VA legislature. MGA gives those students a chance to assume the roles of that of a senator, delegate, officer, lobbyist, reporter, or underclassmen legislator, all of which allow for the exploration of the roles that politicians play in the VA legislative body. Everything from reporters such as myself covering the ongoing events at MGA to the senators and delegates debating in committee to determine what bills will survive and what bills will be shot down.

With such a long history of 71 years to help grow the program to what it is today. The Youth Gov. from 1992 and Salem Principal Mr. Habeeb stated that after being here for three years one as a senator, one as a delegate, and finally one as the youth governor, then subsequently leaving for twenty years. Everything is somewhat familiar. The process is exactly the same as it was for him two decades ago. The only thing he noted differently about the style of MGA is the type of dress clothes that are being worn. Mr. Habeeb noted that he found it interesting that many of the bills he saw going through MGA in his three years as a student going through again this year.

Mr. Habeeb stated that he noticed that the first year at MGA is always a bit overwhelming as you are kind of thrust into the role of a delegate or senator where you actually get to sit at their desks and go through the same motions that real politicians go through in order to bring bills into law. However, the sense of being overwhelmed fades away by the beginning of the second year. The aspect of being pushed into the role of a real politician helped Mr. Habeeb to realize that the real politicians are not just their political ideas, but people who are the same as anyone else. The biggest take away that Mr. Habeeb said he got from MGA is the speaking skills that he now uses every day as the principal of Salem.

The general consensus after interviewing some of the first year students at MGA is that Mr. Habeeb was correct in his statement that the first year is intimidating, as you are taking the role of real politicians. One of the biggest things that take some getting used to is the protocol and language that you are expected to use in committee as well as during sessions. In its 71 years of operation, the process of MGA has not changed much. Which makes sense as the VA legislature has not changed very drastically. The largest change in recent years is the movement of the building in which meetings are held from the GA building to the Pocahontas building. It is interesting to know that the way we today are conducting ourselves in a very similar way to those who were here at the start of MGA.