Welcome to the YG Blog
Our Youth and Government Blog is a space for our Media delegates to write and publish their work throughout the program year. Keep yourself updated and in the loop by reading topics written by our youths from across Texas.
Legislative Section Draws Students from All Backgrounds
By Nora Kelly, Liberal Arts & Sciences Academy There are countless reasons that people join the legislative section of Youth and Government, from expanding connections to learning details about how laws are created, presented, and passed. Nicolas Gallego, a clerk for his committee this morning, joined Youth and Government [...]
SAF: Parental Leave Benefits New Parents
By Saron Elias, Garland High School In a Friday morning Student Affairs Forum (SAF) session taking place in the Bluebonnet room at the Renaissance Hotel, Delegates Natalie Koch (left) and Mackie Beitsch (right) proposed the implementation of “12 weeks of fully paid parental leave.” Koch claimed that the six weeks [...]
What Happens in the Courtroom…
By Abigail Zylka, Duncanville High School The first thing that happens in the courtroom, once everyone gets seated, is the explanation of the rules. The judge will have different rules depending on who is in charge. They are roughly the same every time, typically about eating and drinking and when [...]
Women Taking A Stand for Change At State Youth and Government Conference
Frida Hernandez-Aguila, Veterans Memorial High School Many young women at the 2023 YMCA Texas State Youth and Government State Conference are making a stand for change in our world. With the second day of competition taking place at the Texas Capitol in Austin, all eyes are on the leaders of [...]
Underage Drinking: A Nay or A Slay?
By LeeAnn Partin, Hays High School When exploring the process of how bills are passed in the State of Texas, the Legislative sector finds themselves meeting once again to question and amend acts presented with the hopes to pass to the full chamber of House and Senate. This sector [...]
Three Candidates Vie for Governor Role
By Piper Watson, North Central Texas Academy This year during the seventy-sixth Youth and Government State Conference we have three extraordinary candidates running for the esteemed title of the one and only Youth Governor. Ryan Lee, Vennela Mallampati, and Ramiro Lopez are the confident and talented delegates that are [...]
Emily White Fights for Justice with her Rigid Firearms Bill
By Spandana Palyam, Liberal Arts and Science Academy “Fifteen years ago, if someone walked down the street with a gun, we would have been shocked and everyone would have been calling the police. But things are different now,” legislator Emily White claims. On March 3, Emily White proposed Senate [...]
Youth & Government Gives Students Tools for Success
By Celeste Tijerina, Fox Tech High School The 2022 YMCA Youth and Government District Conference officially commenced on Saturday, November 5, bringing together students from schools in San Antonio, Austin, and Corpus Christi to Akins High School in South Austin. The Youth and Government program was formed in 1946 to [...]
YAG Makes Profound Impacts on Students
How Texas Youth and Government has changed the lives of those who attend By Holland Beard, Austin High School YMCA Youth and Government provides an environment for students to become more aware of issues surrounding them and gives them a chance to expand on their existing skills with an exclusive [...]
Fashion Trends on Display at YAG District Conference
By Kaitlin Buck, Veterans Memorial High School All around the world people have learned to grow and express themselves through fashion, and that was no different at the YMCA Youth and Government District Conference at Akins High School on Saturday. Fashion has become a big part of the newest generation [...]
Veteran, First-Time YAG Students Bring Different Strengths, Perspectives
By Eleanor Thompson, Austin High School Every year Akins High School welcomes old and new faces to the YMCA Texas Youth and Government (YAG) District Conference. Some come from a background of debate rooms, Model UN conferences, and years of practice participating in YAG. Others have zero experience in anything [...]
Hispanic Heritage Month Celebrates Immigrant Experience, Culture
By Frida Hernandez-Aguila, Veterans Memorial High School During Hispanic Heritage Month many are reminded of the culture of their homes, the homes that many immigrants had to leave. Leaving home and making many sacrifices for a better life, to be able to reach for the “American dream.” “About 12 years [...]