HSLP 2009: Day 8, July 18

High School Leaders Program Class of 2009
Day 8— Saturday, July 18
Reported by: Muaz Rahman of West Springfield High School, Sprinfield

     The first Saturday of the Sorensen Program, July 18, was a great day that was very much needed and looked forward to in the minds of the students.  After the long and zealous week, the sleep-deprived students had the morning off and classes did not begin until 1 pm. Comparing this to waking up at 7:30 in the morning during the week, Saturday was a much-required treat.
     We actually went through a bit of a transition this day due to the change of both classroom, teacher, as well as the topic of discussion. Marc Johnson, our last teacher, discussed with the class the topic: The Informed Citizen. He was a great teacher and taught us, in my opinion, many new pieces of information that are very critical in being successful in the political field.  Our new teacher, Professor Stephen Bragaw, is also as knowledgeable and discussed with us the topic: The Thoughtful Citizen.
     This topic was different from the last topic in the sense that we discussed ‘thought-proving ideals’ and actual chemistry that lies behind politics and not as much information as conferred with Marc Johnson. Class lasted for three hours. We talked extensively about justice, theories behind government, public goods and service, and other conceptual topics.
     We then proceeded to read off of our readings for that specific day. Many new ideals and concepts were presented very clearly to us from the readings that I believe are very important to the American people—especially people who are involved in politics and have in mind to strengthen America as a whole. We looked at the American government from an antagonistic point of view and looked at the faults of democracy and how it can lead us to an undesired end. This is very important since as a political activist we have to try to find the flaws in our government and communities and attempt to try and fix these problems for the betterment of society at large. The topic was overall very enjoyable and presented to us a different outlook in politics and showed us its roots and basic underlying factors.
     The day was then capped off with dinner and some fun outdoor activities which almost all of us took part in. We are all looking forward to the days that lie ahead and hope to learn even more about politics and how we can be a part in making America a better place.

—Muaz Rahman, Springfield