Every year, during the fourth term, CHS sends a delegation of students to the YMCA’s Youth and Government Model Government program in Springfield, IL. This year, Mr. Basso, the Government teacher at CHS, led a group of ten students who had been working on their projects for months.
There are three roles students can take are legislative assistant, lobbyist, or legislator. Legislative assistants hold what is essentially a practice role, where they choose a problem, draft a bill proposal that could fix it, put together a presentation and compete with their peers for the best presentation. Lobbyists are assigned an organization and try to convince legislators to vote for or against specific bills, with an award being granted to the “Most Effective Lobbyist.” Legislators work in groups to draft bills and get them passed by the other legislators.
The students left at 6 am on Thursday, March 19 and drove three hours to the Crowne Plaza Hotel, where they would stay the next two nights while exploring the Capitol and surrounding city. For many of them, this was the first time attending the trip. “It was really fun. I wasn’t sure what to expect going into General Assembly, and it was a little bit confusing, but the whole experience was really fun. My favorite part was walking around Springfield near the Capitol,” junior Hope Werner said.
On days two and three, the students went to the Capitol. Between working on their individual projects, they were given free reign over the building and surrounding area: allowing them to see the elaborate architecture, spend time with their friends, and experience a significant amount of independence. “Youth and Government is one of the greatest experiences I have had a chance to be a part of in my high school career. My favorite part is meeting people from around the state and being able to explore both the Capitol Building and the city of Springfield,” sophomore Mollie Mandell said.
Beyond being a fun experience, Youth and Government allows for students to experience the inside workings of the government. From seeing the Capitol: to campaigning and passing bills, students are able to explore the meaning of working for the government and the importance of being involved. “It was a great time where we could have free reign of the Capitol while being able to role-play as real government members, which led to some fun moments,” sophomore Nick Wilhelm said.
In the end, the legislators from CHS were able to pass their Bill in both the House and the Senate. Their idea, to put a cap on the price of insulin, proved to be both popular and well thought out.
As the world continues to change, so does our nation. To continue to thrive, its system requires new minds and experiences that are willing to work hard and adapt it, finding and fixing issues as they become apparent.
Everyone must play a part by helping one another and providing their information and opinions. This cannot happen unless everyone is encouraged to learn and participate, and this program aims to do exactly that. As the Youth and Government’s motto says, “democracy must be learned by each generation.”
