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High School Leaders Program Class of 2008
Daily Update: Day 7, Friday, July 18
Reported by: Sonora Braun and McCullough Roach

    Today, we awoke to the last day of the Informed Citizen with Mr. McGuire. After a warm walk to the Engineering Building, we settled down to a morning of article presentations which sparked numerous discussions about the Governor's power compared to that of other components of Virginia's government. Then, we split into groups and made clever 'radio spots' favoring either Obama or McCain that targeted various audiences throughout Virginia. These were then critiqued by the class, and any areas of extreme or inappropriate content were pointed out. Altogether, many of these soundbytes could easily have been from actual campaigns.
    At lunch, we split into groups of six or more, each having one member of each culminating project topic. In these groups, we discussed each issue and proposed solution so that we could better understand the difficulties of each project. We returned to the classroom, where two College Republicans from Mary Washington University awaited us. Rebeka Blackwell and Samantha Bradshaw were both very informative and showed us how being a Republican can be on a mainly liberal campus. They also told us about the various functions, campaigns, and opportunities that they had attained because of the College Republican organization. 
    We met our new teacher, Dr. Tom Shields, who began class with a discussion regarding the 'social capital' decline in America since the mid-1900's. The class finally agreed that technology had made social capital sprawl and morph into a new type of community throughout the world. Then, we discussed the difference between 'Polis' and the 'Market' societies and pinpointed words that were associated with each type. This class was very interactive and sparked one of the most thought-out debates we had ever seen in a classroom.
    Once we returned to the dorms, we rode the trolley for a nice dinner downtown and walked around this cultural hotspot. Then, after our routine Starbucks run, we returned for a night of Fight Club and popcorn. Altogether, another successful day at Sorensen!

—Sonora Braun of Roanoke, Patrick Henry High School Class of 2009
    McCullough Roach of Amarillo, TX, Woodberry Forrest Class of 2009
 

High School Leaders Program Class of 2008
Day 6, Thursday, July 17
Reported by: Maribel Castaneda and Daniel Hivick

6:30am: Beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-snooze.
8:30am: After finally peeling myself from the comfort of my bed, I was able to shower, get ready, and head down to join my fellow Sorensen classmates. Once we all gathered in the lobby, our walk to the classroom began.
9:00am: We finally arrived at our destination and hung out until our speaker arrived. After a couple of minutes, Helen Jones presented our speaker Ms. Connie Jorgenson. Her expertise is in drafting legislation and knowing the do's and don'ts when trying to convert a bill into law. In the middle of her speech, I realized how much time and patience it really takes to have such high stakes on a bill. The insight Ms. Jorgenson gave us is definitely worth to share with the rest of the world:
    -Start a bill as soon as possible and not during January.
    -Prepare for the opposition.
    -NO. You'll hear it. Keep your dignity.
    -Avoid getting "single-issue-itis." Definition: Thinking your issue is the most important.
10:30am: After Ms. Jorgenson's presentation, we earned a break and unleashed our rowdy selves. After not-a-long-time, we settled back in our seats and turned our attention to John Barber who introduced Ms. Barbara Kessler. What Ms. Kessler brought was Resume Class 101. Most of us are college-bound juniors and seniors who will soon be starting the application process. It's definitely good to have a well-composed resume that shows our best selves. Many asked questions in order to perfect their resumes and were very appreciative of the feedback they received. At the end, Ms. Kessler told the class that she would take a copy of our current resumes and edit them. We're well on our way to success!
12:00pm: LUNCH. Enough said.
1:00pm: After satisfying our stomachs with tasty sandwiches, we returned to class and Caitlin Saloka introduced our last speaker for the day, Waldo Jaquith. Mr. Jaquith introduced us to the wild world of blogging. He showed us many political blogs that exist around the Commonwealth of Virginia and gave us examples of good and bad blogs maintained by politicians. A respectable political blog shows personality and minimal entries that deal a whole lot with actual politics. A poor developed blog contains a lot of political information. It further supported what we've been learning regarding the media. It related to the presentations that Mr. Coy Barefoot and Ms. Amy Gardner gave earlier this week.
2:30pm: Mr.McGuire came back to finish off the day with a fun-filled class taking a chisel to the Constitution. It led to many thought-provoking debates about Virginia's policies and what we would do to reform them. Hands shot up as many wanted to speak on bills regarding religion and state.
5:00pm: As soon as class ended, most of the students went straight to the library to work on their culminating projects. The day for us ended with the anticipation of tomorrow's basket of didacticism.
 Superfluous Information:
–    The dart game continues. We've recruited more! Mwahahaha!
–    Colin and Daniel made an excursion to Barracks Road to acquire Cheerwine. Congratulations fellas!
–    We learned about dentistry through a blogger… it was strange… and informative…
–    Maribel and J.R. got lost in the library. Beware of the stacks.
–    Salmon for dinner.
–    Rice for dinner. Kevin was excited.

— Maribel Castaneda of Harrisonburg, Harrisonburg High School Class of 2008
     Daniel Hivick of Keswick, Oxford Washington School Class of 2009

Members of the High School Leaders Program Class of 2008 with former Virginia Governor and U.S. Senate candidate Mark Warner

High School Leaders Program Class of 2008
Day 5, Wednesday, July 16
Reported by: Sirisha Iruvanti, Caroline Wulf, and Jimmy Underhill

     Today we woke up extraordinarily early to get on the bus and make our way to the exciting city of Alexandria. We started our day with a very “politically-appropriate-across the aisle” and enlightening presentation from Mr. Will Payne, the Executive Director for Virginians for Warner.  Next came a pleasantly surprising visit from former Governor Mark Warner. We listened in awe to the Governor’s various discussions on the importance of crossing the line to bipartisan party politics and seeing ourselves as not just Republicans, and not just Democrats, but as proud Virginians. For the first time this week, every single one of us was determined to fully participate and, as the Governor put it, “Ask away!” Some of our lucky classmates included the ever-inquisitive Mitch Caudill, the all-knowing Colin Harris, and several others.   After a life-changing discussion with “HIS EXCELLENCY, THE GOVERNOR," we met Kristie Helmick and Kala Quintana, both of whom were passionate about the vital debate about Virginia’s transportation issues. 
     Afterwards, we gathered outside the city hall fountain to replenish our hungering brains and bellies. Environmentally-conscious Maribel and Kevin made sure the birds and the recycling bin did not get left out in the replenishing. Full and satisfied, we made our way back to the beautiful City Hall, and met with Amy Gardner of the Washington Post.  After that, Delegate Margie Vanderhye shared her thoughts about the perils of the Transportation Special Session. At last, we met the “ever-invigorating” Mr. Lance Mallano, who provided us with extremely precise historically significant information about the City itself, Alexandria. As we sit here pondering the “ever-eventful” events of the day, a last and final thought comes to our minds, “So…what DO we do about the transportation problem?!”
— Sirisha Iruvanti of Yorktown, Tabb High School Class of 2009 
     Caroline Wulf of Virginia Beach, Princess Anne High School Class of 2009

     Today was our first of two field trips with the Sorensen Institute. Today we went to Alexandria in Northern Virginia. I woke up at 6:35, giving me just enough time to wash up, put on my suit and eat two poptarts before meeting downstairs at 7:00. We rode the bus for about 2 hours before arriving at town hall in Alexandria. Our first speaker was Will Payne, a representative for the Mark Warner senatorial campaign. Mr. Payne explained the importance of character and party loyalties. Following Mr. Payne's address we enjoyed a special visit from former governor Mark Warner himself. I was very impressed with Governor Warner's ability to address touchy issues in detail like the problem of healthcare. After the Governor was done speaking we had a photo-op and took several pictures with "his excellencey." Next we were addressed by Kale Quintana and Kristie Helmick about one of the major problems in the Commonwealth of Virginia, transportation. It was especially interesting to hear from Ms. Helmick because she was very passionate about helping the Commonwealth.
     Finally we had a pleasant lunch of gourmet sandwiches and beverages. Lunch was especially nice because after eating we had a good amount of time to explore Old Town Alexandria and learn about that particular region of Virginia. After lunch Amy Gardner came to talk to us about the media and politics. It was very interesting to hear her perspective working with a major media corporation. We also learned to be careful using the media because it can be very easy to offend or slander without really realizing it. Next Delegate Vanderhye came to speak about her experience coming out of the Sorensen Institute and then running for and winning office. Her experiences were very insightful and helpful for anyone with the intention of running for public office in the future.
     Our last speaker changed the subject from politics. Instead about talking about the media or transportation, we learned about the history of Alexandria and how the city evolved over time to become one of the most historically significant towns in Virginia today. Finally we all loaded up on the bus and drove to Hard Times Cafe for dinner, then continued back to Bice hall to complete the day's activities.
— Jimmy Underhill of McLean, Langley High School Class of 2009

High School Leaders Program Class of 2008
Day 4, Tuesday, July 15
Reported by: Nathalie Navarrete and Andrew Werner

     Today’s sunny July morning brought about an air of enthusiasm to the students who were on their way to learning about the history of Virginia politics. Following yesterday’s talk on the way Virginia has acted as a key state in many important national political issues, we learned about the Byrd political machine and the way it influenced citizens. We later discussed the reasons for Virginia’s abrupt shift in voting patterns and how the state of Mississippi’s trend toward the GOP compared to Virginia’s.
     After lunch we were honored with the visit of Coy Barefoot, who taught us how to set up a successful political campaign following seven key points. Barefoot’s visit helped us better understand the work behind a candidate’s campaign and how the media plays a key role in politics.
     The second part of the Informed Citizen class encouraged us to analyze the Constitution of Virginia and think about what should be changed and why. We worked in groups where we each had the chance to share his or her views.
     We ended today's class by discussing how stereotypes often keep citizens from joining political parties, and asking ourselves what would it be like if the electorate was well informed about the different platforms that our presidential candidates bring to the table.
     We later made our way to the UVA Corner where we all celebrated a classmate’s birthday— making today another successful day for the 2008 Sorensen high school students.
— Nathalie Navarrete of Alexandria, T.C. Williams High School Class of 2009

     The powers that be assigned a complete reading of the Virginia constitution this morning. Following a late night of revelry we made our way to class with weary eyes. Mary Kathryn, Mitch, and Colin kicked off the morning with their explanation of Mark J. Rozell's article about the changing political landscape in our fascinating commonwealth. The article told much of Virginia's political history from the Byrd organization and the one-party system through Governor Wilder and up to the mid-1990's. Extensive discussion ensued. Following that, Sonora, Joi, and Michelle presented their opinions on their assigned speech by former Governor Linwood Holton about the current state of the Republican party and its future. The following talks, again mediated by Mr. Maguire, were both extraordinarily interesting and informative and proved even more polarizing and generated even better discussion.
     We ate lunch after which we were greeted by Bob Gibson, the head of Sorensen. Mr. Gibson introduced himself and told us that tomorrow we'd be meeting with former Governor Mark Warner while in Alexandria (pretty awesome). Mr. Gibson was followed by an incredibly enthralling presentation by Coy Barefoot, a best-selling author and the man in charge of media for the Sorensen Institute. He gave insight into the importance of the media from the politician's point of view and gave us not only tricks of the trade but also invaluable information we never would have learned about how politicians work with the modern media.
     Mr. Maguire then divided the class and gave each group a different article of the state constitution. We were given 40 minutes to write an amendment. My group, consisting of Caitlin, Ladi, and me, were assigned Article X, and we amended Section 6 subsection 2. We then had another group discussion of an assigned article; this time it was headed by Richard, Helen, and Nathalie. When five o'clock struck the end to our debates, we left to celebrate McCullough's seventeenth birthday.
     We walked down McCormick Road to the Corner and piled into the Biltmore Grill for the birthday bash. The food was delicious. I had a burger and macaroni and cheese; others at my table ate crab cake sandwiches and chicken fingers. After dinner there was a huge birthday cake and singing. Try as he might, McCoulough just couldn't seem to get all of the candles in a single blow. I'm now off to watch a documentary and complete my deadline for our group project. Tomorrow the bus pulls out at 7 a.m. for a hopefully exciting day in Alexandria!
— Andrew Werner of Norfolk, Norfolk Academy

High School Leaders Program Class of 2008
Day 3, Monday, July 14
Reported by:  John Barber and Joi Crenshaw

     This morning as my classmates and I walked to class, we did so in anticipation. All of us were eager to meet our speaker. As we entered the room, Mr. McGuire, the first speaker of the day, greeted us. During our three-hour time period together we analyzed and discussed a powerpoint presentation. The powerpoint broke down statistics about various regions across Virginia. Once some of my classmates got more in-depth into the discussion, they began to interact with Mr. McGuire as well as those around them. After our discussion concluded, it was time for lunch. When lunch was over we were broken off into groups separated by the regions in which we live. In those sub-groups conversations arose about the pros and cons of each of our various regions. It was discovered that each region had different pros and cons. Later on this afternoon Chris Saxman joined us. He was quite entertaining, very open, and obviously secure in his beliefs. Before I knew it, the day was finished. It was truly a great beginning, and only a taste of what is to come.
—Joi Crenshaw of J.R. Tucker High School

     So, it’s day three, and also our first day of classes, which is pretty exhilarating if I say so myself.  We started classes off with “The Informed Citizen” instructed by Mr. Matt McGuire.  It was really interesting to talk about the divide of our country according to party affiliation, and Mr. McGuire’s insight on this matter was really informative and helped us to understand some of the information from the Washington Post articles. Next, we discussed a powerpoint showing the demographics, ethnicity, etc. of Virginia and the various regions of the state.  I was thoroughly interested in topics such as the problems of the regions, or where the income of the state comes from.  We next did an activity that would show us whether our region tended to lean left or right, and also if we had many swing vote attributes.
     After lunch, we began work on our Culminating Projects, it was very informative and all the while interesting to see the problems that the other regions had.  Some of them were very funny to hear, some were odd, and some made a lot of sense.  Though our regions have a lot of differences, there were some strengths and weaknesses that we all share.  It was a nice feeling to see that we all worried about the same things, even if we thought differently on some issues.  After that it was time to choose the one problem that affected the state the most. The diversity in the problems we saw for the state was a sign that we all are our own people, and don’t just worry about the same things.  Finally, before our next speaker came in, we voted on what we would want to work on the most.
     Delegate Chris Saxman came in to speak to us (see photo), and I found his lecture to be very good.  Delegate Saxman was open to us and treated us like we were adults, yet still had a sense of humor.  He was very good at answering questions, and made sure that everyone who had a question got an answer.  I thought when he answered that he elaborated on it so well that there wasn’t much need for a further answer, he got to the point basically.
     The last thing we did before we left the class was work on our introductions, which was helpful.  I enjoyed getting to learn more about everybody such as quirks, hobbies, and other things of the matter.  Tonight, we begin research on our Culminating Projects, and also begin the reading for tomorrow’s session of "The Informed Citizen."  I’m sure the future will have something exciting in wait for us.
—John Barber of Fluvanna County High School

High School Leaders Program Class of 2008
Day 2, Sunday, July 13
Reported by: Martina Hairston and J.R. Riegel

Today was particularly enjoyable. Having helped each other through trying challenges, we now know and trust each other not only as fellow attendees of the HSLP, but as friends. After the initial drive of almost two hours, we arrived at Challenge Discovery. Of course, to taunt us, the owners of Challenge Discovery decided to set up their tent and activities directly next to the roller coasters of King's Dominion. However, the noises of the theme park faded away as we became absorbed in the activities of the day. After the initial introductions, we made a large circle and learned the ways of pirates. Although it may have felt odd at first to make lighthouse noises and deck-swabbing motions, it was an excellent and exciting icebreaker. Following this, we separated into three groups – the tigers, the pandas, and the raccoons.
      The authors of this post happen to have both been tigers, so we cannot speak of what the pandas and raccoons started out doing. We, however, began by learning each others names by way of throwing a ball about. Afterwards, we were led into the forest where the challenges begun. First off was a series of cables connected between trees. The goal of this exercise was to work effectively as a team to get our entire group from one side of the course to the other. After some initial planning and trials, we worked our way to the goal together. Because this was the first of these events, our progress was very noticeable. We quickly opened up to each other and communicated much more actively – even those doing nothing at the moment were able to aid the team with encouragement and advice.
     Subsequent challenges included an X made of rope on which two team members had to start on opposite ends and then switch places. This too, we soon discovered, required continuous communication and help from all members of the team. We then climbed an initially daunting arrangement of logs, ropes, and footholds called the Alpine Tower. With the encouragement and support of our teams, many of us climbed up the 60 feet to the top. Finally, we moved on to a towering machination which required the work of many of us to move others across the obstacles. On the ground, we pulled and slackened ropes to move those of us up above across the ladders, ropes, cables, and planks that led the way to the final zip line.
     These activities were, of course, much more than just fun. They taught us not only about each others' abilities, but our own as well. We developed our communication and listening skills, and we came to trust each other with our lives. Challenge Discovery helped us come together – it broke down our individual barriers, opening us up to each other and helping us form a strong community. We developed our abilities to work effectively as a team, which is unquestionably vital to success in the world. We had a whole lot of fun while we came together as a strong, trusting, and close team. It was an enjoyable, educational, and an overall exceptional day.

— Martina Hairston, Roanoke, Patrick Henry High School Class of 2009
     J.R. Riegel, Glasgow, Rockbridge County High School Class of 2008
 

High School Leaders Program Class of 2008
Day 1—Saturday, July 12
Reported by: Michelle Kinzer and David Newill-Smith

     It was 11:30am when my family arrived at Bice hall. We expected a whole flood of people to be filing in to the building with lamps, luggage and pillows, but it turns out we were a bit early. Very early actually…we were the first ones here. As it got closer to 12:00 though, cars began to wander into the parking lot. The families and students started unpacking and settling in. When I first saw my apartment suite I was so excited! I unloaded my corn pops and bagels in the kitchen, my laptop and notebooks on my desk and all my dress clothes for the next two weeks into my spacious wardrobe. It was surreal to finally be here after all the anticipation.
     At 2:00pm we met in the lobby of Bice for the beginning of the orientation. Our parents went down in the basement lounge to learn all about what we will be doing for the next couple of weeks and the students went on an exhausting tour of the campus. It sure is hot in Charlottesville in July! When we met back up with our parents it was time to say goodbye until graduation. The last thing that my mom said to me was, “I’ll be checking the newsroom every day for updates of what you’re up to!” So…hi mom!
     Right away we began a jam-packed day full of activities. What a schedule! First we played a fun icebreaker game to get to know each other a bit better. I learned a wide variety of things about people from what movies and food they like to what specific bones they have broken. After getting to know all of our classmates we ate dinner in the Bice basement lounge. We then split up into teams and set off on a campus scavenger hunt. What a fun way to get to know our way around the grounds! My personal favorite tasks that my team completed were kissing the Thomas Jefferson statue on the lawn, building a human pyramid and reenacting a scene from a Disney movie on the amphitheater stage.
     When we returned to Bice around 8:45pm we played the song lyrics game in teams, and then we went back in the basement for a super hilarious game of telephone charades. It ’s like the game telephone, but instead of whispering into the next person’s ear, you act out the word. We ended up with some pretty twisted answers when the last person had to guess the word. Somehow rollercoaster turned into a car crash, flamingo turned into the chicken dance and elephant turned into a religious prayer ritual. Finally when we returned to our rooms and we all ate ice cream sundaes in Emily’s room. Now it’s 11:00pm and I am thoroughly worn out! I want to get some sleep for tomorrow, but at the same time I really want to hang out with all my new friends. I’m totally excited for the next two weeks!
—Michelle Kinzer of Annandale High School

We passed through the doors of Bice Hall around 12:00.  After lugging my home up the two terrible flights on the elevator, I tried to make some sense of how to put my life together for the next two weeks.  Over the next two hours, my roommates drifted in with their belongings.  Though the room was slightly crowded with the armies of parents barracked beside us, with their help we got moved in fairly quickly, said our goodbyes, and started off on the tour.
     From Thorton Hall and the classrooms to the corner to the lawn, we toured the sights of good ole UVA.  And what a sight it was.  That’s probably the most inspiring thing about UVA to me.  I look around and see the 200-year-old buildings surrounding me, see Edgar Allen Poe’s room, and Thomas Jefferson’s statue, and bask in the presence of the greatest men in the history of the United States.  I’m standing and learning in the same place where Madison and Jefferson once stood. And it amazes me.
     We returned to Bice Hall for the orientation, a couple name games where we all tried our best to not fall over everyone else, and then went out for the scavenger hunt.  We kissed statues, embarrassed bearded men wearing madras pants, and then Caroline stated that a guy across the street was indeed wearing…pants.  Finally after several trips to the UVA Corner and harassing the UVA souvenir shop employees for a Virginia Tech shirt (all in good fun of course), we returned home to dinner and night of singing, telephone charades, and ice cream, and we ended a full, fun day. A good start to a promising two weeks.
—David Newill-Smith of Clover Hill High School in Chesterfield County

Sorensen's Bob Gibson and Marc Johnson were guests yesterday on public radio station WMRA. Enjoy!

The Summer 2008 edition of Virginia Leadership is now available. Click on the cover image at left to download a PDF (1.1MB).

This isssue includes a welcome to our new Executive Director Bob Gibson, a look at the PLP Class of 2008, an update on our Youth Programs, complete coverage of the 2008 Gala, and more.

Enjoy!

The Sorensen Institute for Political Leadership's College Leaders Program Class of 2008.