HSLP 2009: Day 9, July 19

High School Leaders Program Class of 2009
Day 9— Sunday, July 19
Reported by: Natalie Cruise, North Stafford High School, Stafford

     Today was a very relaxing Sunday to say the least. While we had lots of time to catch up from our hectic week and enjoy the lovely weather, we also learned some insightful information during our few hours in the classroom.
     Everyone woke up way later than usual, and we all lazily crawled out of bed to eat some delicious bagels and salads from Bodo's Bagels. After that, half of our group split up and headed to Thornton Hall to participate in the "National Issues Forum." None of us had any clue what it would be about. We had our speculations, but no one really knew what we would be doing. Once we arrived, we were welcomed by a nice judge from Louisiana who was very cordial, and we sat down in a circle to start our discussion.
     Last night we read a booklet titled Under Pressure: How Can We Keep the Courts Fair and Impartial? which was written by the American Bar Association Coalition for Justice. It informed us about the public's different opinions about the judicial system, and described three approaches in which to better the system and the public's opinion of it. During the forum, we went into more detail about the three approaches and learned how they apply to real-life courts. The first approach is to understand the role of the judiciary, which allows citizens to better understand their government and the courts system. The second approach is to make the judicial system work better by strengthening its foundation and making it more efficient. The third approach is to make the judiciary less political by devising a new way to choose our judges and make the system less partisan. All of these approaches can be effective in improving the judicial system and allowing citizens to put more trust in the courts.
     Today's events gave us the perfect combination of learning and relaxing, and we all enjoyed the time spent with each other. Tonight's events included more reading, more project work, and more good times with friends. I'm so excited to spend two whole weeks soaking up tons of information and making new friends while enjoying the beautiful UVA campus. I know this next week will be filled with lots of fun things to learn and do, and I can't wait to see what's next!

—Natalie Cruise, Stafford