Youth and Government 2013

Anastaya and Isaac were able to spend four days in Olympia as the culmination of their Youth and Government class.  The YMCA has this program for high schoolers where they create their own mock bill and have a chance to argue for their mock bill both on a local level and finally at the capitol.  Since I have a big van, I got the privilege of driving a bunch of youth down to Olympia Wednesday morning.  I felt a bit bereft as I drove away from Olympia, wondering if I was missing out on the fun.

It was Anastaya's first year to attend.  Her bill was to make physical education or equivalent physical activity mandatory to students.  It read, "RCW 28A.230.040 is amended to read as follows:  Every pupil attending grades 6-12 shall receive instruction in physical education every school day.  Three days missed is punishable by attending summer school physical education.  Provided, that individual pupils or students may be excused on account of physical disability  religious belief or participation in directed athletics."  It was Isaac's second year.  He chose to go down as a lobbyist.

Some years the youth stay in host homes.  This year they tried a hotel, The Governor Hotel, which is within walking distance of the capitol.  The youth were not impressed, they said they felt like there were staying in a hotel from a horror movie.  Stained carpets, moldy bathrooms, showers that went from comfortable to boiling hot to freezing on a whim, an elevator that shuddered and clunked with sudden drops and long pauses as it made its way down to the lobby.  Their teacher said they will not be staying there again.  But, they don't spend much time in the hotel.

By the end of the four days, they're pretty good at getting around the capitol.  They spend their time debating bills, voting, and learning.  Isaac spent the last half of his day in the law library where he looked up laws that would correlate to the bills that were proposed.  He said the library was amazing and he loved hanging out there.

Capitol grounds

Inside the rotunda

Inside the capitol building

Anastaya and RJ Passmore at the dance on Friday night.

This photo makes her look like she has a very large beehive hairdo!

Anastaya thought all the class time leading up to the trip to Olympia was boring, but she loved being down in Olympia.  She's planning to attend next year.  Isaac thought being a lobbyist was more fun than being a senator.  Next year, he wants to be a head lobbyist and plans to run for governor for the following year.