HSLP 2010: Day 6, Thursday, July 15

High School Leaders Program Class of 2010
Day 6-Thursday, July 15
Recorded by: Mary Gray Johnson, Fredericksburg

We're finally settling in. Each group's culminating project is now, in one way or another, in full swing, with our first deadline early tomorrow morning. The desks in our dorm rooms are being quickly covered by handouts from class and various speakers, and a daily routine has finally fallen into place.

Mr. Johnson greeted us for the first portion of the morning to lead a discussion on the Virginia constitution, then split us up into groups to make our own changes to the document. Everything from tax exemptions to means of judge appointment came up in heated discussion. We then heard from David Ledbetter, a seersucker-clad trial court lawyer from Waynesboro, who led us through the ins and outs of the judicial branch of government.

After lunch, Mr. Johnson returned to the class as the rest of the afternoon was dedicated to a formal debate. Earlier in the week, we were separated (via ‚"Sorting Hat") into Harry Potter-like Houses for us to collect "Sorensen Points". The house names, based on the last names of our Youth Program Coordinators and the real Harry Potter House names, are Van der Claw, Heatherin, Gilberdor, and Howardpuff. In this afternoon's debate, Heatherin fought against Gilberdor, arguing that the governor should have more power over the Virginia legislative body. Next, Van der Claw put up a hard fight for the use of appointments by the House and Senate for Virginia judges, as opposed to Howardpuff's fight for election of judges by popular vote. We look forward to tomorrow, when we'll find out the decisive winner of today's successful debates!