Newsroom Archive for 07/24, 2009

High School Leaders Program Class of 2009
Day 13— Thursday, July 23
Reported by: Catherine Haley, Danville

     After two full weeks of class and speakers, today we had our last official day of class.  The effects of sleep deprivation caught up with some, but despite the nodding off, our last class was an effective and heated one to say the least.
     The first half of class with Professor Bragaw began with the question “What did you find surprising or difficult about forming a policy?”  Since we have been working on our culminating project and preparing policy proposals, the class all tended to agree that we did not realize proposing policies was as difficult as it turned out to be.  The complexities and compromises needed to form these proposals was indeed a surprise.  I know without the help of our project manager, Joe, my education group would have not become aware of some problems and complexities that our proposal had.  After this, the class split into groups and worked on case studies.  The education case study we did dealt with the change of education over the years from the NESA to the No Child Left Behind Act.  Each group was assigned questions to analyze the change and what contributed that change.
     We finished with about 20 minutes to spare before lunch, so Marc and Professor Bragaw explained how the “Budget Game” would work.  The class was split into the House of Delegates and the Senate.  During lunch we decided on spending, reductions, and revenue options.  I was in the House of Delegates and Corrigan and Whitney were nominated to be the chair and the recorder.  After about an hour of debate over tax cuts and spending we completed our proposed budget.  On the other hand, the Senate took quite a long time to come to a consensus on their budget.  Next, each group was split into two “conferences.”  My conference consisted of six senators and ten delegates.  The House presented their proposed budget, and then the Senate presented theirs.  To our surprise we agreed on more than we thought we would— although the things we did not agree on took some time to sort out.  After about an hour of heated debate, we accomplished the goal of a balanced budget.  The entire class reconvened and each group presented their proposed budget.  Finally, the entire class voted on which budget they preferred and…budget A won! (which just so happened to be the group I was in).
     After a day in the classroom, we returned back to Bice to eat dinner and prepare for our practice project presentations.  Each group would present their project to the project managers and April.  We were warned that we would be “grilled” with questions to prepare us for the real thing.
     It is hard to believe that these two weeks are coming to an end, but the friends we have made and the lessons we have learned will be ones that will last forever.  Tomorrow is the big day for the much-anticipated projects presentations, but I am certain everyone will do great!
 
—Catherine Haley, Danville

High School Leaders Program Class of 2009
Day 13— Thursday, July 23
Reported by: Corrigan Blanchfield, Williamsburg
 
     Today we said goodbye to our beloved second-story classroom in Thornton Hall. Though two weeks of little-to-no sleep may have had an effect on some, this concluding class was one of our most involved and exciting, allowing us to forget how much we would like to be in bed.
     In class, we split into groups and analyzed accounts of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)'s transformation into the No Child Left Behind Act. After that, we discussed under which circumstances  the federal government should intervene to keep a business from failing, using bailouts of Lockheed and Chrysler as examples. After the final section of our “The Thoughtful Citizen” class, we adjourned for lunch and then reconvened for the Budget Game. Similar to a Model United Nations conference, we split into two groups, the House of Delegates and the Senate to prepare and balance a state budget, starting with a mandatory deficit of $1 billion. While the House quickly prepared their budget,  the Senate took quite a bit of time, essentially slashing spending across the board to avoid an income tax hike. After each house prepared its own budget, we divided into two conference committees to iron out differences. Finally, we came back together and voted between the two final budget proposals, the first of which was passed.
     We were able to leave Thornton because we had finished the Budget Game quickly, so we hurried to Bice to practice our presentations for our culminating project. At 7:00, we presented our projects to the floor managers and received a lot of helpful feedback. Each of the managers offered great advice, making the groups feel much more prepared for tomorrow's presentations. After that, it was back to work to finalize our projects, since we're presenting them starting at 10:00 AM tomorrow before our classmates, our teachers, and others who have not yet been revealed.
     All that remains for us now is the presentation, which I must admit has me more than a little worried. It's hard to believe that Sorensen is nearing it's end, even though I can hardly remember when I first met my roommates on the 11th. However, I think that what we've learned here and the contacts we've made will last long beyond Saturday's graduation.
 
—Corrigan Blanchfield, Williamsburg