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YG State Conference

Should High Schools Provide Contraceptives?

The Youth and Government program’s legislative branch requires students to address issues within their community and propose a bill that will communicate their concerns. In order to ensure that each delegate is able to argue and defend their own bill within their respective committee rooms, which consists of a smaller number of delegates. However, among the hundreds of bills proposed by the Texas YG legislative delegates, only a few are chosen to be presented in the House of Representatives. One of the bills that were presented to the House regarded free access to contraceptives and sexual education within schools. This bill author, Mike Christner, argued that high schools should provide contraceptives, such as condoms, birth control, and emergency contraception. It stated that the Texas Education Agency (TEA) will conduct periodic audits to confirm that these high schools are adequately providing contraceptives. The penalty for not complying is that
schools will lose 5% of their annual state funding for the next school year. Within the debate period, House members can turn in amendments in which the rest of
the delegates can vote on whether this amendment will be implemented into the bill. For instance, an amendment was presented regarding the removal of “Provision D” of the bill which stated that schools must provide education on the use of contraceptives and family planning. Although this amendment did not end up getting applied to the bill, it did provide insight on how this bill could be edited. Supporters of this bill addressed the issue of poverty amongst young parents and that with
the implementation of this bill, students will be better informed on this topic. In fact, Planned Parenthood states that “if used perfectly a birth control pill is 99% effective.” Moreover, Wang states that “it may be an effective strategy.” However, some opposers of this bill stated that this bill will encourage more teenagers to participate in more sexual intercourse and allow them to discreetly hide their acts from their parents. But what do you think? Should Texas High Schools provide contraceptives, such as condoms and birth control to their students?
Video Caption:
What are your thoughts on this? Learn more about this debate using this link __________

Sources:

Parenthood, P. (n.d.). Are birth control pills effective?: Do birth control pills work?. Planned
Parenthood. https://www.plannedparenthood.org/learn/birth-control/birth-control-pill/how-
effective-is-the-birth-control-pill
Wang, T., Lurie, M., Govindasamy, D., & Mathews, C. (2018, January). The effects of school-
based condom availability programs (CAPS) on condom acquisition, use and sexual
behavior: A systematic review. AIDS and behavior.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5758683/#:~:text=Three%20studies
%20showed%20that%20school,and%20promoting%20positive%20sexual%20behaviors.
2024-02-03T18:29:54-06:00February 3rd, 2024|2024, YG State Conference|0 Comments
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State Affairs: Climate Change and Pollution

State Affairs: Climate Change and Pollution
Climate Change has been an ongoing problem and has increasingly been being an alarming threat. Pollution is of the leading factors of this issue. In state affairs, they have proposed a couple of plans to stop this issue. For example, tiles that help create clean energy which saves a lot of energy and is very good for the environment. They state how many streetlamps in Texas take up a lot of energy and cause a lot of pollution, but the implementation of these tiles could change this problem. Another solution they came up with was to “implement photogenic molecules, also known as solar roadways, in roads and streets across Texas” (Video. Mohammed, 2024). They state how other countries have already started implementing this, such as China and Japan, to show that they have been widely successful. In another article written by Jeeva Achari et al, who states that Solar Roadways will also features wildlife preservation, the elimination of impervious surfaces, law enforcement, DUI detection, counterterrorism, etc. It provides a decentralized, secure, intelligent, self-healing power grid which pays for itself (Achari 2018). In other words, they say that solar roadways help protect wild animals and their ecosystems and try to prevent pollution and climate change. They state that it is reusable and does not cause a lot of pollution in the making of it. As shown, climate change is becoming and increasing huge and hard problem to deal with. New ideas are being proposed to deal with this problem all around the world. This issue is a well-known topic and has had a lot of proposed ideas, but there are a few ideas where change is seen and be implemented. This topic needs to be heard loud and clear for everyone to hear. If we want to solve and fix this disastrous problem, we need to take a stand now and change ourselves before we change the world.

Source:
Achari, J. J., Holla, K. A., Hebbar, A., & Revankar, S. M. (2018). Review Study on Solar Roadways.
International Journal of Recent Research Aspects, 20–26.
Video recorded by Krrish Mohammed
https://photos.app.goo.gl/vBQFPpWUKbHE7whs9

Achari, J. J., Holla, K. A., Hebbar, A., & Revankar, S. M. (2018). Review Study on Solar Roadways.
International Journal of Recent Research Aspects, 20–26.
Video recorded by Krrish Mohammed
https://photos.app.goo.gl/vBQFPpWUKbHE7whs9

Written by Krrish Mohammed

2024-02-03T18:27:34-06:00February 3rd, 2024|2024, YG State Conference|0 Comments
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Empowering Voices: Media Overview

In the dynamic landscape of the Youth and Government, one section stands out as an empowering platform for students to use their voices to inform others: the Media section. With a mission to engage, inform, and inspire their peers, participants in this section harness the power of media to shine a spotlight on pressing issues, amplify diverse voices, and drive positive change in their communities. Operating at the intersection of journalism, the Media section serves as a platform for
young journalists, photographers, videographers, and social media experts to hone their skills and make a meaningful impact. Through a blend of hands-on training, collaborative projects, and real-world experiences, participants gain invaluable insights into the role of media in shaping public discourse and fostering informed citizenship. According to the YMCA Texas Youth and Government website, students in media are evaluated on grammar/journalist style, photos/multimedia content, voice, and their overall. Media has become a multimedia outlet in recent years. Students need to know how to write stories, take good photos, craft interesting videos, and grasp the right social media platforms. As the internet grows, social media only becomes bigger and bigger. Students in Media need to be able to handle all aspects. Media seems to hold the image of being unnecessary when it comes to government and politics yet media is the very source people seek when looking for information on politics and government. In a world where information is power, the Youth and Government Media section is empowering the next generation of leaders to wield their voices for positive change. “I used to think we didn’t need a media branch in Youth and Government but after seeing everything the media has covered over the past 2 years I believe media is just as important as the other branches,” Leslie Contreras said.

2024-02-03T18:24:22-06:00February 3rd, 2024|2024, YG State Conference|0 Comments
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Chat in the App: How Good is Your Communication?

Austin, TX – For the longest time, people have been trying to figure out the fastest and easiest way to connect with each other. Now there is an app called GroupMe! This is a communication app, where you can create “groups” / group chats with the topic of anything. This app was first created in May of the year 2010 and is still being used now. Ever since the Covid year of 2019, schools have moved from papers to laptops. Students went from going to school to staying at home. Since then, education has changed. More schools have allowed students to use their devices to submit assignments and work on studies through the internet. With education allowing this, it created an environment where students are glued to their devices. This problem comes with its strengths and weaknesses. At first, teachers believed that this was an good because the process to grade around 400 students papers/tests, now they’ve realized that their students have been spending too much time on their devices. According to the statistics, the average person spends 3 hours and 15 minutes on their phone every day. An average person is more likely to use their phone to communicate with others through many different apps. Learning this, education has used this to their advantage. Now, teachers have been making group chats with their class to communicate to each other about the topics in the class, using GroupMe. This app now has about 10.75 million users. Recently, GroupMe has spread throughout the world for many purposes. Though there are many people who use this app, its main users are individuals in education. Instead of emailing students, teachers moved to texting them through the app because they’re most likely to respond. Not only is this a faster way of communicating but, this app makes students feel more comfortable to talk to teachers about the things they need. Lastly, the only problem left is the real communication. Will students and people actually use this app to talk to others and expand their knowledge? Or will they just ignore along with everything else/apps they have?

Written by: Emma Hoang

2024-02-03T18:20:47-06:00February 3rd, 2024|2024, YG State Conference|0 Comments
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Preston Lee Governor Candidate

By Rigoberto Frausto Martinez
May include opinions and biases.
What are the duties and responsibilities of a Governor? With this question in mind, this quote says “There is a need for governors with skills and knowledge in
addition to these qualities, but first and foremost governors need a moral compass and an understanding of the community they must serve.” (Alan Clarke). A
governor is responsible of overall communication and connectivity between themselves and their community. Preston Lee is a candidate who is running for Governor, he has been in Youth Government for six years. As stated, a Governor is responsible for containing communication and serving his community in any way possible. Some of his main key election points are, “Increasing statewide communication, communicating through an advocacy board, and basically communication in general”. (Preston Lee). Some of the duties that he would be upheld to do as Governor would be overseeing and supporting bills persecuted within the house for the Senate. Something he said was; “I think the duties as governor is to help people see their purpose and their value in Youth Government and to be the example.” He certainly seems to be showing exemplary work conducted as a great example of the US Governor. As an example, he also helps his community by advising and directing newcomers of Youth government. Some examples of his advice include, “I say trust your trust, even trust your identity within this program, trust that no matter what occurs, the value and the impact that you have had within your district, or across the state will be something that’s impactful.” (Preston Lee). In conclusion, out of all the main pillars of leadership in a Governor, they are very present when looking at Preston Lee’s example and accordance. In comparison to the current US governor, he says that he will integrate some of his ideas into his candidate platform. For example, “ensuring that he’s contacted his targeted audience. And you know, whether or not you agree with that belief, or whether or not his ideology, I think he’s done well with communicating and being a representative for those delegates.” (Preston Lee). His campaign slogan truly grasps the importance of communication and representation for his
community. “A Vote For Lee Is A Vote For Me” (Preston Lee).
Citations: Qualities of good governors. (2009, June 29). The Mail & Guardian. https://mg.co.za/article/2009-06-29-Qualities of good governors. (2009, June 29). The Mail & Guardian. https://mg.co.za/article/2009-06-29-qualities-of-good-governors/qualities-of-good-governors/
Link to Audio Source: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VwBlFFH_G-ctlHhcHyiJ4zpoLqaQzzL0/view?usp=drive_link
2024-03-12T15:45:43-05:00February 3rd, 2024|2024, YG State Conference|0 Comments
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State Affairs: Should Refugees be Limited?

State Affairs involves a procedure in which delegates propose solutions to current issues nation-wide. Today, one of the bills proposed was over immigration and refugee control in the United States. Delegate Herrera, who proposed this bill, discussed the United State’s past issues with their immigration crisis, which originated from personal prejudice. This bill proposes that there be a minimum that restricts the government from going below it and abusing their power. Delegates concerned with this proposal spoke on how there should be a limited number of refugees allowed to enter the United States. Their reasoning was that
refugees worsen economies as well as make wages lower. This would evidently hurt individuals already in the United States. Delegate Herrera responded to these claims by pointing out how most of these refugees fall into the labor workforce. This debunks the claim that refugees are hurting the economy and instead proves that they are foundational to the economy. Therefore, refugees do not end up taking the jobs of those already in the United States, but actually improve the economy. Delegate Herrera quotes, “These refugees along with immigrants are a large part of what makes America culturally diverse and should not be limited for any reason.” In the end, the bill was successfully proposed. America’s refugee and immigration crisis brings forth one question: Is the American dream even real? The delegates in this case argued it very much is. What this bill proves is that America’s issues with immigration of any sort result from personal prejudice from corrupt government officials. Delegates in Youth Government discuss this matter as a means to highlight how people have the right to vote against corrupt decisions made by government officials. More importantly, delegates learn to debate about
issues taking place across the nation.
Written by Andrea Jimenez
2024-02-03T18:18:08-06:00February 3rd, 2024|2024, YG State Conference|0 Comments
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Building Bonds and Futures: The Impact of YG Friendships

By: Amarys Rodriguez
It’s noon on the third day of state conference, and delegates are packed in a line ready to devour their well-deserved lunches. However, if you look around you may notice two delegates, Davina Padron and Natalie Naranjo, sitting off to the side giggling in a corner of the capitol. The two girls from District 7 are co-counsels in trial court, yet they’re so much more than co-attorneys, they’re best friends. The two friends met freshman year through the mock trial program at their high school. Their origin story involves Padron’s friend having a crush on Naranjo, and Padron ultimately inviting Naranjo to be on their team. The two quickly became friends, and they have the kind of friendship we all hope to have, or maybe do have, with our teammates. “We became friends, I thought she was amazing, she’s still amazing to this day, straight off the bat she was my idol”, Naranjo says, “She was an attorney the first year and she just amazed me, and ever since then we started getting closer and then hanging out outside of school, and as the years go by we never split up our team.” Padron gives credit to the state conference for their close friendship saying, “I think mock trial really helped us become closer friends, especially the state trip. It’s like we always have so much fun, staying up and doing everything.” Some of their favorite moments from the conference consist of talking to other teams, asking them how their rounds are going, and wondering what it’s like living in other parts of Texas. Yet, through each trial and conference, they’ve both grown together and individually. With this being their third year in Youth and Government, Naranjo and Padron reflected on their growth from their first year to now. Padron discovered her passion for law and learning the elements of a trial through trial court, which led to her gaining confidence over time. “[Mock Trial] has made me more secure with myself and of course with Natalie, I think that if we weren’t in mock trial together, we wouldn’t be as close as we are”, Naranjo agrees with that statement as she’s also grown more confident herself. She compares her time as a witness during her freshman year to now and thinks of how scared and shy she was on cross-examination, saying she would just agree and never fight back. Though now she and Padron don’t even need notes to speak in trial anymore. “I think it’s a lot of confidence now that we portray to the rest of the room, and [people] can see that. Rather than before, where it’s like ‘I think you guys just need to be more confident’ and now it’s gone from a critique of something for us to improve on, to something that they’re congratulating us for”, the two say proudly. Whether you’re a new delegate or an old one, there are many opportunities to find some of your closest friends through Youth and Government, and many chances to grow together to become leaders and changemakers in your community.

2024-02-03T18:13:33-06:00February 3rd, 2024|2024, YG State Conference|0 Comments
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Appreciation for Unsung Heroes

By Eliza Pepito

Garland High School

Garland High School’s (GHS) YG adult advisor Timothy Schmidt converses with a student who voices their concerns to him.

Timothy Schmidt, GHS’s Teacher-Sponsor, Exemplifies What It Means To Be a YG Advisor

Youth and Government (YG) is a program that demands much from its participants. Students are expected to carry out and gain coverage over the law in action. However, just like with any extracurricular school club, the program requires the assistance of adult volunteers to function. Here at the TXYG State Conference, such assistance is of utmost importance as having a mass of teenagers from across the entire state all gathered up in one resort/hotel will unequivocally call for adult regulation. While adults all over the state have stepped up and taken on the role of adult advisor for their delegation, one man has been able to set himself apart from the rest. Garland High School ECHS Magnet Advisor and YG Sponsor Timothy Schmidt has proved himself to be one of the best at his job as an adult volunteer. Schmidt states that his undertaking as GHS’s YG teacher-sponsor was prompted by his “[passion] for the youth getting involved in government” and wanting to aid in students experiencing first-hand how the governmental system works. Due to being “worried with where our state of government affairs is heading,” Schmidt believes in assisting the future generation in taking the government “by the reins” and “[redirecting] it [the government] back towards the way the founders intended.”Although Schmidt has dedicatedly carried out his responsibilities as an advisor, such could not have happened without at least a few sacrifices on his part. Though Schmidt harbors a passion for what he does, aspects such as “managing communication avenues” and ensuring that everything is “clear and concise” are somewhat difficult to juggle with his usual teacher duties. Consequently, Schmidt has had to “put aside his some personal appointments and engagements” to be there and present for YG Club members. His hard work and sacrifice have not gone unnoticed, though. GHS Senior and YG President Lindsey Khuu expresses her appreciation for Schmidt as the club’s sponsor. “He is always active and present within the club,” states Khuu. “Although I do tend to stress-spam him with emails and texts concerning matters with YG, he is always able to help out and relieve some burden off my shoulders.”Although YG is often focused on the well-being and accomplishments of its student participants, the time and effort our adult volunteers put into this program should not go unnoticed. Next time you spot an advisor or volunteer roaming the hallways of Kalahari, don’t forget to thank them for their hard work!

2024-02-03T18:08:44-06:00February 3rd, 2024|2024, YG State Conference|0 Comments
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Governor Candidate Lee

GOVERNOR CANDIDATE PRESTON LEE FROM DISTRICT 5

Austin, TX – Preston Lee from District 5 is running against Joey Maguire and Ethan Chen for the 2024-2025 governor position. Lee was inspired to run for governor by the people around him in Youth and Government who influenced him to be an advocate for the people. Lee’s campaign is all about making people feel heard and represented, his programs include gaining more resources for all sections of Youth and Government, making more connections with people and organizations, and creating invitationals.

The process of running for Governor in YG can be difficult. First you have to have years of experience in YG, fill out various forms and applications, go to meetings, and you have to compete at district to get the nomination for state to even run. But according to Lee: “it’s not that bad actually, I think about it, it’s not that bad.” Lee was originally joined YG because his brother was already in the program and when he went to the Texas Capitol for the first time, Lee saw that this was something that he wanted to do. Lee was inspired by his brother’s love for YG and Lee also want to “love something that much.” After Lee joined YG he saw the importance of advocacy and how people need to fight to be heard. Lee wants to be able to represent all facets of YG and make sure everyone in the program is being heard.

Compared to the other candidates, Lee’s plans as governor don’t seem as fleshed out and detailed. His plans mostly only involve representing the people and making connections. In his interview, Lee said that he plans to make sure that everyone from every demographic in YG is being represented, as YG becomes more diverse, as Texas becomes more diverse, Lee plans on representing everyone, no matter who they are.

Written by Edy Wang

2024-02-03T18:00:26-06:00February 3rd, 2024|2024, YG State Conference|0 Comments
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What is YG? Why is it beneficial?

Since 1936, Youth and Government has been dedicated to providing young students with a unique platform to actively contribute to their schools, communities, states, and nation. Through engaging in model government simulations, fostering civic engagement, advocating for causes, and cultivating leadership and character development, this initiative has empowered hundreds of thousands of youth. The overarching mission of Youth and Government is to mold responsible citizens and future leaders for our nation. By offering skills training and fostering meaningful relationships, Youth and Government aims to equip teenagers with the tools and knowledge necessary for a lifetime of civic engagement and community involvement. The program aspires to cultivate an environment where students can enhance their political awareness, comprehend the significance of social action, and gain hands-on experience in government, thereby contributing to the strengthening of youth civic health. Diverse and dynamic, the Youth and Government conference offers an array of compelling sections, each tailored to ignite the passions of our students. For those with a passion for shaping laws and engaging in debates, the Legislative Branch is the one they should join. The State Affairs Forum stands as a vibrant arena for those who enjoy diving into current events, passionately debating them, and crafting innovative solutions. Stepping into the role of attorney for a captivating case, the Trial Court provides an immersive experience for those eager to explore the intricacies of the legal realm. Capture the essence of the conference through the lens of Media, where photography and storytelling join together to document every part of this transformative event. These sections collectively create an inclusive and vibrant environment, reflecting the diverse talents and interests of the participants. By embracing these opportunities, students not only gain practical skills but also contribute significantly to the immersive experience of the Youth and Government conference. In this supportive and empowering setting, every participant has the chance to discover their strengths, actively engage with civic responsibilities, and emerge as well-rounded individuals ready to make a positive impact on their communities and beyond.
Written by Lynette Huang
2024-02-03T17:58:50-06:00February 3rd, 2024|2024, YG State Conference|0 Comments
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