Hello from Black Mountain, NC! Texas YG has just kicked off the Conference on National Affairs (CONA) with our delegation of 24 outstanding students. After training in Austin Friday night, the delegation arrived at scenic YMCA Blue Ridge Assembly on Saturday. Delegates have come to CONA to present their proposals describing social problems and outlining solutions on a variety of topics such as mental health on college campuses, the opioid crisis, voting reform, homelessness in major U.S. cities, and school safety. They had a first chance to share these proposals with delegates from other states during Proposal Sharing Groups Saturday night. Jariah Cole and Jonathan Forseth each chaired a Proposal Sharing Group.
On Sunday, delegates enjoyed the Opening Ceremony and took part in First Committee Hearings. During each round of Committee Hearings, delegates engage in debate and discuss the pros and cons of their own and other delegates’ proposals, suggesting amendments to proposals as appropriate and following parliamentary procedure throughout. They score one another’s proposals, and a specified number of the highest scoring proposals from each Committee Hearing advance to the next round. All delegates gather on the final day of CONA to discuss the 12 highest-ranked proposals in a Plenary Session. First Committee Hearings wrapped up Monday morning, and delegates will participate in Second Committee Hearings this afternoon and evening. We are celebrating all our delegates including Sharif Long, Alysha Orbach, Aayush Dave, and Anastasia Sotiropoulos who earned leadership positions in Hearing Committees, Conference Life Committee, and Round Tables. We are also thrilled for our delegates whose proposals have advanced to the Second Committee Hearings: Dani Smith, Anastasia Sotiropoulos, Jesse Williams, Alysha Orbach, Sharif Long, Diomarvellous Nsofor, and Aayush Dave.
More to come later this week as we begin Third Committee Hearings tomorrow! Enjoy a round-up of pictures from our first couple of days below. For more CONA coverage, be sure to visit the official CONA blog. Media delegate Gloria Ogunlade wrote a feature story about Jariah Cole that highlights Jariah’s impressive leadership and resilience. You don’t want to miss it!
