Newsroom Archive for 07/16, 2009

High School Leaders Program Class of 2009
Day 5— Wednesday, July 15
Reported by: Hollis Erickson of Loudoun Valley High School, Waterford

     Today the Sorensen Institute High School Leaders Program took a field trip to Alexandria, Virginia.  This adventure began when thirty two sleepy-eyed teenagers boarded a bus at 7 o’clock am.   Three hours later we arrived in Old Town Alexandria.  We entered the city hall and filed into rows ready for a day of intensive listening.  A local government official Frank Fannon started off the series of speakers.  Mr. Fannon described how local government differs from state government.  For only having sixteen days on the job, Mr. Fannon did an excellent job answering all the challenging questions thrown at him.
     Amy Gardner arrived swiftly after Mr. Fannon left the stage.  Gardner is a beat reporter for the Washington Post.  Gardner works specifically with political campaign coverage.  A concern was brought up during Gardner’s speech involving the diminishing popularity of print news coverage.  Lunch was an extended hour and a half today allowing the students time for a walk around lovely Old Town Alexandria.  After arriving back from lunch, the next scheduled speaker, Steve Shannon, was running late due to his present campaign for attorney general.  To take his place, Adam Ebbin began his speech. Ebbin held the attention of many Sorensen students with his language and topics.  Steven Shannon arrived and Ebbin kindly let Shannon take the spotlight.  After both Shannon and Ebbin finished talking, photographs were taken with both the politicians and all the Sorensen students. 
     Delegate Bob Brink was the next to take the stage and give his speech.  Mr. Brink answered many of the students’ challenging questions and provided very useful information for our upcoming group projects.  After a long day, all the students boarded the bus to drive to dinner.  An hour later the Sorensen bus arrived at Hard Times Café.  A lovely dinner and fun games of pool were had by all. Back on the magical Sorensen bus we went.  The drive from Manassas back to Charlottesville was a long two and a half hours filled with songs and chatter.  Currently back at Bice Dorms, students are brainstorming ideas in their project groups for the paper introduction due  on Friday.

—Hollis Erickson, Waterford

High School Leaders Program Class of 2009
Day 5— Wednesday, July 15
Reported by: Ashley Murphy, William Fleming High School and Roanoke Valley Governor’s School, Roanoke

     As odd as it sounds, for most of us, our day began with sleep.  I woke up around 5:45am to prepare for my day, but as soon as I settled onto my seat for the three hour ride to Alexandria, my brain and body went back into a dormant state.  When we did arrive into the historically rich Old Town, I felt welcomed by its charm and charisma: the boutiques and stores, and especially the riverfront.
     Our opening speaker was Frank Fannon, a member of the Alexandria city council.  He provided information about government on a local level, especially living in the sometimes complicated part of Virginia known as “NoVa.”  Mr. Fannon’s lecture was of particular interest to me because he touched on the topic of solving the transportation problems in that area, which will be of great assistance when I work with my group on the culminating project.
     Second, Amy Gardener spoke to us about her career as a reporter for the Washington Post newspaper.  She discussed how Virginia is a state unlike any other because of its tendency to be purple, not blue or red like some others, as well as her role as a reporter and the significance of print media in educating the public on the government’s policies.
     I was impressed listening to the accomplishments of Steve Shannon, the Democratic nominee for Attorney General.  He is a graduate of the Sorensen Institute, which demonstrates how Sorensen plays a large role in forming Virginina's political leaders.  He was also one of the founders of the Amber Alert system in Virginia.
      My personal favorite speaker of the day was Delegate Adam Ebbin, who is running for re-election in November.  He talked about how he tries to keep debates as professional as possible, and not cross the line into personal attacks.  I think this is a very important quality and should be used by everyone, not just politicians.
     As of now, I can already tell that Sorensen has changed my outlook of politics, especially in Virginia.  I have met people from all over my state; although when talking about the issues our regions face, we are still quirky teenagers with the desire to learn and grow.  And until now, I had never given a thought to creating a Facebook profile, but if Bob Gibson has one, I must really be missing out on that revolution.
 
— Ashley Murphy, Roanoke

High School Leaders Program Class of 2009
Day 5— Wednesday, July 15
Reported by: Benjamin Corbett of Lakeland High School, Suffolk
 
     Today we practically woke up at the crack of dawn to get on a bus to go to Alexandria.  The bus ride there was a fun experience for a few of those that decided to stay awake.  Most of those who decided to stay awake entertained themselves by watching movies or listening to music. Those that watched movies were highly disappointed when laptops died before the end of the movies. This was a common occurrence.
     We arrived in Alexandria at approximately nine o’clock. We were all enticed by the shops in Old Town that were offering delicious foods at the ice cream shops and colorful clothing at the boutiques. We pulled up to City Hall amazed by the fountain out front. We were hurried in to find Frank Fannon waiting for us. As soon as I got into the room, I went to the front to introduce Mr. Fannon. After I sat down he talked to us about his district and about local government.
     After Mr. Fannon we had Amy Gardner talk to us about the media and how it is involved in politics. She told us about media bias and trends in newspapers. Her discussion was very interesting and informative. Then we had lunch and walked to the waterfront and looked across the water to D.C.
     After lunch we heard from Delegate Adam Ebbin who discussed the major differences between the state and local governments. After Delegate Ebbin, Delegate Steve Shannon came and spoke on the office of Attorney General.  We all had an engaging discussion about the position he is running for. After Delegate Shannon, we had our last speaker of the day, Delegate Bob Brink. He discussed Virginia’s major issues such as transportation. 
     After our last speaker, we headed out to the bus which was taking us to our next destination, dinner. We ate dinner at Hard Times Café, which had an old-time sports bar feel to it. While we waited for food, we enjoyed free games of pool. The food there was great, and after dinner it was back to the bus for our trip back to UVA. The bus was much noisier on this trip so it was hard to concentrate on the readings I was trying to do, but nonetheless I got it done.
     Once we arrived back at Bice everyone practically ran to the door to get in. As soon as we were in everyone was grouping up to do numerous things, such as blog, work on group projects, or work on presentations. All in all I would say that it was a productive day. We learned a lot from the numerous speakers we heard throughout the day.  I am stoked that tomorrow is a casual day.

— Benjamin Corbett, Suffolk