HSLP 2010: Day 1, Saturday, July 10

High School Leaders Program Class of 2010
Day 1-Saturday, July 10
Recorded by: Nikki Baily, Rustburg

Today was the first day of my experience at the Sorensen Institute at UVA. Although I was apprehensive about meeting my roommate and unsure of what to expect from the program, my fears were immediately calmed after I entered Bice House. I was welcomed with a smiling face from April Auger, the Director of Programs, and I soon met some of my peers who seemed just as enthusiastic about our two week enrichment program as I was. After an hour of unpacking, my classmates and I took a brief tour of the campus that will be our home for the next fourteen days. We visited our classroom, followed by a walk to Edgar Allen Poe’s room, and then we strolled by the famous Lawn, everyone chatting and exchanging polite greetings throughout the entire walk.

After our tour of the grounds, my peers and I all headed down to the basement of Bice House. We were greeted by massive binders filled with the reading for our upcoming classes. After the program leaders gave a quick review of the rules of the Sorensen Institute, the group played the “Super Sweet Sorensen Bingo”. Unlike regular bingo, these squares were filled with questions, and to “cover a space” players had to find a classmate who was the answer to questions designed for us to become better acquainted. Although I didn’t win, I enjoyed getting to learn more about my fellow classmates while playing the game.

After playing Bingo, we did an exercise that evaluated what ideas and images people generally associate with various political parties. Some were positive and others were negative, but not a single person wanted to claim all of the traits in any political party, showing that a label can’t express all of an individual’s ideas.

We also had the incredible honor of having a speaker, Mr. Preston Bryant, on our first day of the program. Mr. Bryant served in the Lynchburg City Council, was a member of the House of Delegates for ten years, and recently served in former Governor Tim Kaine’s cabinet as the Secretary of Natural Resources. Mr. Bryant welcomed us to the Sorensen Institute and opened his discussion with facts about the various levels of government, stating “Local government is the level of government that impacts an individual the most on a daily basis.” He then proceeded to discuss the recent BP oil spill and indicated that he has high hopes for new forms of energy such as wind and nuclear power. Mr. Bryant also spoke about illegal immigration and the health care reform, encouraging us to participate and voice our opinions on the issues.

After dinner, we were divided into groups and played another game, this time, a memory one. After having tons of laughs with my classmates about how bad we were at this game, we all were surprised with some delicious ice cream, a wonderful end to a fabulous first day at the Sorensen Institute!