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Yearly Archives: 2020

Texas YG is Going Virtual

Welcome to the 2020-2021 program cycle! We hope you have been able to maintain healthy mind, body and spirit considering the many COVID-19 challenges we have all experienced. As we settle into this new normal, the decision has been made, with guidance from YMCA’s, the State YG Board, the CDC and other leading health officials, to offer Texas Youth and Government virtually. This means that both District and State Conferences will be virtual.

After months of observing, participating and hosting virtual events, we are excited to plan a meaningful program aligned with our mission. The virtual setting does allow for us to connect with you more often and to engage with you in various events like, hosted Town Halls, leadership trainings, combined club meetings, section trainings, and Q&A sessions. Additionally, for our High School Program, we may be able to offer separate Legislative and Judicial Conferences in a virtual setting, providing students the opportunity to participate in both sections, expanding their YG skills.

Club meetings may be in-person, virtual, or a hybrid dependent upon your District and community health and safety guidelines, but there are still many questions. What will club meetings look like? What happens to my club if a Club Advisor is not available or has less availability? What support will the Y provide? How can I participate if my YG Club is no longer active? Who is my YMCA contact?

To help answer the above questions and gain a better understanding of your needs this year, please complete the Student Survey by September 14, 2020.

Individual registration (for advisors, Y staff, and students) will open by the second week of September. A registration link will be available on our website for new participants. If you are a returning participant, an email will be sent out with your unique program ID. Program material is being updated when applicable for virtual events, such as debate timing for Legislative and State Affairs. The Mock Trial case summary will soon be available on our website as well as other judicial material.

Though Texas YG may face different challenges this program year, we look forward to working and adapting with you and embracing new opportunities together. If you need to reach out to your District Director, you can find their contact information on our website here. You may also contact the State Office at [email protected] with any other questions.

2020-08-21T17:17:33-05:00August 21st, 2020|Uncategorized|0 Comments

Congratulations to a Super Star Teacher!

Elizabeth Storm from Bishop Lynch High School was recently named the 2020 Law Related Education Teacher of the Year! This prestigious award is given annually by the Texas Lawyers Auxiliary to celebrate the accomplishments of teachers who have made significant contributions in the area of Law Related Education. Besides a recognition certificate, the award carries a $1,000 gift to show the deep appreciation the Texas Lawyers Auxiliary has for Storm and the work she does. Storm embodies the purpose of Youth and Government and teaches her students about democracy and how not to lose faith in government. We are lucky to have her in our program and working with our students!

2020-07-31T19:11:18-05:00July 31st, 2020|Uncategorized|0 Comments

Celebrating a Teacher Extraordinaire!

We already know that the teachers in Texas YG are the best educators in the state. However, it is always exciting to see our teachers receive recognition elsewhere. Armin Salek, the club advisor at Akins High School, is a standout teacher in the Austin District and successfully led two judicial teams to 5th and 2nd place at the 2020 State Conference. Salek is also a renowned teacher outside of YG. In April, Austin ISD named Salek Teacher of the Year for 2020. In addition, Salek was recently awarded the Rather Prize, an award given to the student, teacher, or administrator with the best idea on how to improve education in Texas. You can watch a video here and here to learn more about the Rather Prize and Salek’s ideas to improve education.

Congratulations to Salek on all of your achievements! We are lucky to have you as a member of the Texas YG family!

2020-07-08T17:44:01-05:00July 8th, 2020|Uncategorized|0 Comments

CONA Leaders and Award Receipents

This was a challenging week for our 22 delegates that participated in CONA 2020 on a new virtual platform. Despite the many unexpected difficulties that our delegates face, Texas showed up strong at CONA this year. We would like to congratulate the members of the Texas YG family that served in leadership roles this week and celebrate the recipients of various awards.

First, congrats to Timothy Sinnott, member of the Texas State YG Board of Management and recipient of the 2020 Paul Grist Award.

The following delegates served in a leadership position at CONA 2020:

  • Aayush Dave as Presiding Officer
  • Tadiwa Mujokoto as Conference Life Committee Member and Proposal Sharing Group Leader
  • Alex Searles as Round Table Chair Leader
  • Vivienne Garner as Proposal Sharing Group Leader
  • Alyssa Mills as Proposal Sharing Group Leader
  • Madison Dillon as Committee Chair
  • Mikayla Pastrano as Committee Chair

Congratulations to Athvait Manikantan, Alyssa Mills, Mikayla Pastrano, and Chase Patterson. Their proposals made it to General Assembly. Mills, Pastrano, and Patterson’s proposals were passed in their respective assemblies.

Finally, congratulations to Garner and Sam Mills for earning Distinguished Delegate.

Overall, all 22 students did an excellent job representing Texas at CONA 2020. Many of our delegates spoke out in committees, Grand Assembly, and Plenary and delivered excellent and well thought out intent speeches and pro and con points. However, what truly made this group of delegates special was the amount of compassion and kindness they showed to one another and to the delegates from other states and their commitment to the YMCA Core Values. All of our delegates from Texas helped made CONA 2020 a success and congratulations to all of them for their hard work and participation this past week.

2020-07-09T09:51:01-05:00July 2nd, 2020|Uncategorized|0 Comments

CONA Successes

Currently, students from Texas YG are virtually attending CONA. Though the experience is very different and we do miss being in the Blue Ridge Mountains, we are still having fun debating ideas with our friends and colleagues from across the country. We are so excited to announce that four proposals from the Texas Delegation advanced to Grand Assembly at CONA! Congratulations to Athvait Manikantan, Alyssa Mills, Mikayla Pastrano, and Chase Patterson! We hope your proposals continue to do well in the next round.

2020-06-29T16:15:59-05:00June 29th, 2020|Uncategorized|0 Comments

A Virtual Adventure

Students at the Virtual State Affairs Forum Conference on May 30, 2020.

The last few months have been quite an adjustment for students due to COVID-19. Though the spring is a slow season for Texas YG, students still missed out on the opportunity to participate in weekly club meetings and continue to develop their skills. COVID-19 taught the world that there was a need for virtual programming to help people connect remotely when being in person was not possible. Many different organizations are having to develop virtual programming to meet the needs of a society dealing with a pandemic. Like for many other groups, virtual programming is unchartered territory for Texas YG and no one knew how to proceed with the rest of the spring semester.

However, our officers for the 2020-2021 program year stepped up to the plate and came up with a creative solution. For the months of April and May, the officers led Texas YG’s first weekly virtual club meetings with students. Governor Vivienne Garner and State Affairs Forum Chair Ethan Ong taught a group of about 20 students about State Affairs Forum. Many of the students had no previous experience with State Affairs Forum. “About half of the students were from the Judicial or Legislative branches, and it was amazing to watch them adapt and grow in this new section and in a new setting that is unlike the typical classroom club meetings,” Garner said. The students used Zoom to discuss how to write proposals, potential topics, and the procedures of State Affairs Forum. They also had the opportunity to practice their proposal presentations with each other and have debates with one another.

History was made on May 30, 2020 when Garner and Ong hosted Texas YG’s first virtual mini-conference. Ong said, “As many other states were forced to adapt and hold their state conference online, we believed that Texas should follow suit in preparation for 2021. Therefore, these participants paved the way for potential virtual conferences in the future and created the model for Texas YG.” The students came together and formed two committees and discussed a total of 12 proposals. Afterwards, five proposals advanced to the Grand Assembly, chaired by Ong. The other officers volunteered their time and assisted Garner and Ong with the conference. Our judicial officers (Attorney General Jerrell Moody, Chief Justice Alexis Boehmer, and County Court Judge Alyssa Mills) stepped in and served as chairs for our committees. In addition, Print Editor-in-Chief Adriana Contreras also assisted with the conference and designed the cover of the proposal book. In response to the collaboration and assistance from the other officers, Garner said, “We all worked together to figure out the best way to design and hold the conference and in the end, it was an amazing success.”

Ong reported that the experience was a success and appreciated the opportunity to test out electronic evaluations. “As the State Affairs Forum Chair, I have made it one of my goals to transition from a paper-based proposal evaluation to an online evaluation form,” he said. “Therefore, this conference was an amazing time to be able to implement and test this new online system that I had drafted. And while there were a few obstacles that came up, I now know how to improve and make the system more effective for the State Conference in 2021, regardless if it is online or in person.” Overall, the entire virtual experience was a success and received praises from the participants. In fact, multiple students requested at the end of the conference that this event becomes a yearly tradition because they enjoyed it so much. Texas YG will for sure be happening this next year, though the format may look different compared to what we are used to. If virtual platforms need to be incorporated more for club meetings and conferences, the experience that students had in April and May taught us that not only is virtual Texas YG possible, but it is just as engaging and fun as in-person participation.

2020-06-16T11:56:07-05:00June 16th, 2020|Uncategorized|0 Comments

A Week of Advocacy and Adventure in Washington, D.C.

During the first week of March, Texas YG sent two students, Sebastiane Caballes ’20 and Ariana Palomo ’21, went to Washington, D.C. as a part of the YMCA Youth Advocate Program. They learned about advocacy and how to speak about different issues with their representatives. The highlight of the week was that Caballes and Palomo attended meetings on Capitol Hill with the YMCA Texas State Alliance on National Advocacy Day and advocated on the behalf of policies that align with the YMCA’s core values.

Upon their return, both students took some time to answer a few questions about their experiences. Read on the learn more about their adventures in Washington, D.C., and be sure to ask your advisor about National Advocacy Day in the fall if you are interested in representing Texas in 2021!

What all did you do during National Advocacy Days?

SC: National Advocacy Days featured many different events and programming, the main part being advocacy on Capitol Hill of course. Ariana and I met with the offices of various senators and representatives from Texas, speaking with staffers and sometimes even the actual congressman/woman themselves. During these meetings, we would discuss the various legislative priorities Y-USA is pushing for in this session and we advocated heavily for an increase in budget for the Department of Justice’s Youth Mentorship Program(s) since this priority resonated with us the most. Outside of Capitol Hill meetings, we also took part in various civic engagement/awareness workshops as well as multiple networking events and receptions intended to connect us with Y-USA leadership. Lastly, we attended a Congressional Champions breakfast where numerous congressional members received awards for their work with youth.

AP: Everyday of National Advocacy Days was filled with a variety of events. Every night we had a workshop with Y-USA staff and the other advocates. For two of the days there we had meetings on Capitol Hill in which, with our state alliance, Sebastian and I met with congressmen/women and senators. We reached the peak of advocacy work when we advocated for our legislative priorities to our representatives. We were able to attend various networking events with members, CEOs, board members, and staff from YMCAs all across the country. In addition, we listened to a multitude of speakers such as the President of the YMCAs in the US. The last day we had a Congressional Champions breakfast where we honored various congressmen/women and senators.

What did you learn about advocacy?

SC: I learned that advocacy is all about building a connection. You can have the strongest case for a particular piece of legislation or program, but if you are unable to connect with the senator, representative, or staffer then you will get nowhere. Advocacy is all about generating investment in the issues you are passionate about and creating an environment where others feel equally as invested in those issues as well. Advocacy is more about the conversation rather than dropping millions of numbers and figures.

AP: I truly think the most important thing to know about advocacy is that people remember how you made them feel rather than what you said. When advocating, an impact story is so much more powerful than a set of statistics. This isn’t to say statistics are not important, because they are. However, someone will remember the emotional impact of your presentation more and connect on a more personal level with the policy you are advocating for. Stories make a difference because it puts things in perspective and makes it feel more real.

What was the most valuable or memorable experience you had?

SC: It would be impossible to pick a single moment from the conference. Everything from the workshops to the meetings fully immersed me in Washington, D. C. and gave me a firsthand experience at the inner workings of our democracy. My most valuable experience, however, has to be pitching our legislative priorities to Rep. Shelia Jackson Lee. Everyone talks about the “elevator pitch” and Ariana and I had to literally give our pitch in the elevator. Rep. Lee had a packed schedule from attending the Coronavirus briefing held by Vice President Pence to attending specific House Committee meetings. In the midst of all of the chaos, we walked with her through the Capitol halls, up stairs, and down elevators, presenting our priorities. Giving our “elevator pitch” to her was the most intense and empowering experience at National Advocacy Days.

AP: There was not a time while in Washington, D. C. that I did not enjoy. However, the Capitol Hill meetings were definitely one of the best experiences. Our first meeting was with Rep. Sylvia Garcia. I was extremely nervous not only because it was our first meeting, but because she is also someone I truly look up to as a former attorney and judge and now a congresswoman. The way in which she represents the Latinx community is amazing to me and meeting her was an incredible experience. When we shared our priority with her, she said that she would support it and that was an amazing feeling. After the meeting, I stayed to talk to her about a sign she had in her office that said, “Se Habla Ingles.” Everything she said in our conversation was inspiring and I greatly valued the opportunity to meet with her.

Another memory that stands out to me is that after meeting with Rep. Pete Olson, we walked with him to the Capitol because he had to go vote on the coronavirus bill. When we reached the entrance to the Capitol, instead of hurrying inside to vote (as he had only about five minutes to make it in at this point), Rep. Olson hugged both Sebastian and I, pointed to the Supreme Court, the Library of Congress, and the Capitol and yelled, “Who owns that? You do!”

2020-04-28T17:06:25-05:00April 28th, 2020|Uncategorized|0 Comments

Scholarship Opportunity

Attention all high school and college students!

The Hatton W. Sumners Foundation released information about their scholarship. It is a great opportunity for students that currently attend a college or university in Texas, New Mexico, and Oklahoma. Read the flyer here for more information and to see if you are eligible for the scholarship.

Don’t meet the criteria?

At the bottom of the flyer is a link of the Hatton W. Sumners scholarship page, where they have listed out all of the scholarships available to students in high school, undergrad, graduate, or vocational programs. Be sure to visit their website and look through the list of scholarships to see if there are any you are eligible to apply for!

2020-02-28T12:44:01-06:00February 28th, 2020|Uncategorized|0 Comments

Where Texas YG Calls Home

An architectural and landscape exposition of the Texas State Capitol

By Mika Sood

Red Granite Majesty

The Texas State Capitol Building, currently in its third iteration throughout its history, serves as the home of YMCA Texas Youth and Government for 2 days every January. The building’s rotunda, along with its other components are adonished with local red granite, giving the  Capitol building a distinctive pink hue. In this image, the rotunda is framed by a Texas live oak from the southeast Capitol grounds.

Attorneys from Morey Law Firm, P.A. in Orlando has said that testament in both law and history always remains inevitable. A Shadowy Past Situated near the eastern entrance to the Texas State Capitol building, Hood’s Texas Brigade statue survives as a testament to the bravery shown by Texan Confederate Army units working on the military corrections and discharge during the American Civil War, a stark reminder of Texas’ sometimes troubled past and the 6 flags that flew over its capital of Austin. While the statue is a reminder of Confederate times long past, it continues to remind YG participants that they are the voices of the future, a reminder that we must remember our troubled pasts if we are to avoid them again in the future.

Red Granite Rotunda

Texas’ Capitol building is one of the tallest state capitol buildings in the country, propelled to a height of 302.64 feet by its red granite rotunda, higher than the US Capitol building in Washington D.C. The rotunda contains many intricate architectural patterns that contribute to its ornate facade, including pillars, circular windows, and exterior window molding.  

Reach for the Sky

Established as Austin in 1839 after a decree by Texas’ congress and second president of Texas Mirabeau B. Lamar, Austin and it’s capitol have long evolved from a sleepy western outpost between Santa Fe and Galveston, having been economically transformed and revitalized by the growing industry and corporate centers in the city.

The image looks southwest towards The Austonian condominium complex and other recently constructed skyscrapers, a sign that the Texas Capitol building no longer dominates the city skyline.

Oak Alley

A sidewalk lined with Texas live oak trees extends towards Congress Avenue and Lady Bird Lake from the southern grounds of the Texas State Capitol building.

Senate Congregation

Originally constructed with the rest of the Texas State Capitol Building, the historical Senate Chamber houses joint state senate sessions and is home to the YMCA Texas Youth and Government Farabee Senate.

White and Gold Heavens

This unique architectural ceiling design is present in both the House and Senate Chambers in the Texas State Capitol, adding a needed brightness to rooms which can be dark and consequential in both lighting and subject matter.

The House from Above

YMCA Texas gubernatorial candidate Vivienne Garner (McKinney YMCA) gives an election pitch to her constituents in the joint session of the YMCA Texas House of Representatives.

Closed to the Outside

Looking at a unique perspective of the House Chamber’s wooden shutters, physically and metaphorically closing off the chambers from the outside, allowing business and debate to proceed as usual.

Cozy Alcove

An alcove of the Texas State Senate chamber. Even in the most serious and professional environments, interiors can be as inviting as one’s study, library, or alcoves back home.

Don’t Forget to Look Up!

Perhaps the most intriguing and distinguishable interior design elements of the Texas State Capitol building, the interior rotunda exhibits a continuous cell pattern, culminating in a large star with the word “Texas” located directly above the viewer. The star is bright directly in the heart of the capitol building.

2022-08-09T01:09:52-05:00February 2nd, 2020|Uncategorized|0 Comments
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