In honor of the 2018-2019 program year kicking off this fall, we’ll be featuring some of our YG clubs and their exciting accomplishments on our blog over the next few weeks. Next up in our new school profile series: Lee High School in the Midland District! Thanks to Mrs. Janet Reed for sharing her and her club’s experiences.
As an advisor, what initially drew you to YG? What keeps you motivated to support your students in the program?
I love watching the kids get up in front of people and talk about things they are passionate about. I have seen shy, quiet students blossom and become their own advocates. Our first trial team there was a sophomore and senior attorney who didn’t know each other and were worlds apart in their personalities. I saw them sitting next to each other talking and sharing music in between rounds. YAG builds friendships and gives students and advisors an opportunity to grow in knowledge and admiration for the next generation.
Share some of your club’s proudest YG-related accomplishments.
In the last few years we had a student who transitioned to MUN because of a lack of legislative slots. He was elected the Secretary General the following year. Two years ago one of our Senators was elected President Pro Tem. And last year Lainey Wilson, Media delegate, was elected the Broadcast Producer for the upcoming year.
We are the ONLY school in District 1 that currently participates. Going into this school year, we have 19 returning students. In Midland, the freshman students attend a separate school which unfortunately makes it difficult for them to participate with us, so we pull students from the 10th-12th grades. We currently have students in Legislative, State Affairs Forum, Trial Court, and Media. The club has been in existence I think since the 1980s, and I have personally been involved since 2010. Our students are involved in Choir, Band, Theater Arts, and Debate and have interests that go far beyond the scope of Youth and Government. The motto they chose for themselves is “Small but Mighty.” I think it exemplifies their desire to make their mark at the State Conference and hope that in the future the smaller delegations will be more fairly represented and not overshadowed.
What topics are your students most passionate about?
Our members are passionate about trying to prevent censorship of free speech on social media sites such as Twitter and Facebook, especially when it comes to censoring more conservative views and values. Other topics of interest include abortion, gun rights, and immigration reform.
What are some of the club’s goals for the 2018-2019 program year?
We have several goals we have set for ourselves. Even though we are a small club, we want to show the school how fun it can be to expand your minds and have fun doing it. We want to be able to discuss controversial topics and have plenty of knowledge to be able to hold a conversation about those topics. This will help us to grow and compete better than the previous year. Growth is on the students’ minds. As noted, we are the only school in our District that participates! We want to expand and bring more people into the program. We also have a goal to grow together more as a delegation and bring the different areas together in whatever way we can.
We love these goals! Thanks, Midland!