HSLP 2010: Day 4, Tuesday, July 13

High School Leaders Program Class of 2010
Day 4-Tuesday, July 13
Recorded by: Logan Ferrell, Midlothian

As a caveat, I guess I should admit that I was a bit hesitant about writing a blog entry for my experience at Sorenson and even the experience itself. However, just three days in, I am ready to renounce such hesitancy and report in.

The experience of one day, July 13 in this case, can go a long way in explaining not only the program, but also how my seemingly idealistic vision of the program was fulfilled in reality. The first speaker of the day was Mary Deviney, a humorous combination of registered parliamentarian and jewelry storeowner. Such a combination would seem at first an odd contradiction, but as I am quickly learning, much of Charlottesville and modern politics is defined by contradiction. That same such contradiction can be seen in the very lesson of parliamentary procedure: it remains a seemingly dull subject reserved for massive textbooks, but upon further reflection is in fact a collection of accepted customs and rules that separate democratic government from descending into the anarchy of forceful majority rule. By explaining the numerous motions, points, and maneuvering that bind the apparent drudgery of everyday government, Deviney used personal stories and local examples to make procedure into something I had never expected: interesting and relevant.

The class then resumed the actual UVA class portion of the program, for a “discussion” of Virginian political history since the mid 20th century. To do this, groups presented the last few decades in a competition to both teach and entertain the rest of the class, relying on anything from chalk timelines to an uncanny impression of Senator Harry Byrd.

Having rushed through history, the class replenished its energy on a lunch of Chic-a-Fila chicken, the natural meal of all political champions. Nourished, we returned to a full afternoon schedule, three guest speakers in a row. The first, Steven Jones, was the incoming director of the political advocacy organization Virginia 21. Virginia 21 was the first organization in the nation to lobby purely for the interest of college age students, an apparent anti-AARP, which tackled issue ranging from textbook costs and tuition rates, to finding jobs for young adults in Virginia. This presentation too, put a surprising twist on my view of politics, offering the perspective of someone hardly older than me, facing the same issues I face going into the college search, and meeting them with his own organization and mobilization of students. If that was a surprising perspective, the one, which followed, was even more shocking. Mostly shocking, because afterwards I discovered that our speaker, Joe Stanley, was a recent graduate of my very own high school.

Representing Virginia Interfaith Power and Light, an organization that unites progressive church groups with likeminded legislators, Joe was able to talk about blending faith and public service, advocacy and duty to higher ideals. While such things may seem like esoteric subjects resigned to ancient philosophers, he described them in anecdotes from Richmond neighborhoods I know and as a student from the same program I am in now. Finally, to offer what would seem the polar opposite perspective of a progressive organizer, we heard from Charlottesville police chief Tim Longo. Listening to him, the lessons of contradiction emerge again. We listened to a man who energetically jumped from discussing kicking in doors to the importance of building social capital, and its role in any democratically governed community. It would be an understatement to say I was surprised by his speech, because in reality the perspective he offered was totally unknown to me. His view is that of struggling to find the balance of security and community; especially the struggle of those entrusted to maintain security under the rule of law. In essence, he drew the link between the squad car and the founding fathers, explaining the importance of law enforcement in local government, as I had never seen it before. After lessons, we were again free to continue debate and discussion on our own. As for me, my day ended when a sudden rain shower interrupted an immigration debate on the Lawn: a fitting end for a day at Sorenson.

High School Leaders Program Class of 2010
Day 4-Tuesday, July 13
Recorded by: Brooks Mears, Suffolk

Today, everyone made it downstairs to the lobby on time, finally. We walked to class and had to sit next to someone new. We were in for a great second day of class and speakers! We started off the day with a speaker, Mary Deviney. She introduced us to parliamentary procedure. From this, we took away knowledge from Robert’s Rule of Orders, as well as basic information on procedures used in the General Assembly and other legislative bodies such as school boards. She wrapped her discussion up with the simple fact that parliamentary procedure is always, “the will of the majority.”

Next, we divided up into groups to prepare presentations on the political history in Virginia. We discussed Virginia politics from the Byrd Machine starting in the 1920s through the 2009 election of Governor Bob McDonnell. After about an hour of discussion and preparation, we were ready to present to the entire class. Nikki’s bubbly personality as a talk show host and Mac’s special impression of President Obama left us with memories we will not soon forget!

After a delicious lunch provided by Chick-Fil-A, three more fantastic speakers awaited us. Tom Kramer, Steven Jones, and Brittany Tyler were the first speakers to address us after lunch. They spoke on behalf of a group called Virginia21. The group was founded to encourage young people to vote and to support the interests of college-level students in the country. Virginia21 is the only advocacy group of its kind in the country. Mr. Kramer talked about legislature that the group has pushed to pass, particularly the Textbook Market Fairness Act of 2004. The second speaker of the afternoon was Joe Stanley, an issue-based lobbyist for the Virginia Interfaith Power & Light. Mr. Stanley first explained that the negative connotation associated with ‘lobbyists’ is not always warranted. After a detailed explanation of a lobbyist’s role, he discussed religion as it relates to politics. Mr. Stanley made sure to emphasize how the Sorensen Institute’s High School Leader’s Program helped him with everything in life. Our final speaker of the day was the Police Chief of the City of Charlottesville, Tim Longo. His passion for his profession was obvious, and he did an excellent job of focusing on fundamentals that we could apply to all aspects of life. Chief Longo talked about building a police force around the community focusing on relationships and trusts. He really emphasized attacking the real problems not just the symptoms.

We are having a blast here at Sorensen on day 4! We’re continuing to bond as a group and have already developed many awesome friendships! Early morning tomorrow as we’re off to Alexandria!!