Madeline Cavazos: Dayton High School
Democracy Must Be Learned By Each Generation
Dayton High School has a large selection of clubs and sports to choose from – impressive for a school of under 200 students. From Knowledge Bowl to basketball, there is pretty much something for everyone. All of these competitive clubs have a notable track record of achievement, which, of course, we are all very proud of. This competitive streak, which is also in the heart of many DHS students, makes the clubs arguably more exciting to be in, with the chance to gain victory and win glory for our school. Dayton has, however, one club that is essentially non-competitive. It has only been in this school for nine years, although it has been a statewide program for sixty, and is rapidly growing in size and popularity.
For one week in early May, a dedicated group of students travels under the name of Youth and Government to Olympia, to become a part of a mock legislature. This mock leg is a remarkable experience for all involved. It is planned carefully so as to be as close to the real state legislature as possible, to give students a taste of democracy. There are the senators and the representatives, who spend their time debating their bills on their respective floors. Sessions run from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM most days, keeping participants busy and productive for far longer than many other clubs do. Bills have to make it through committees before making it to the leg, there is a student-run newspaper covering everything going on, and lobbyists who can be used to further support bills. There is even a hierarchy of officials voted into office every year, complete with a Youth Governor, Speaker of the House, and Postmaster General.
The fact that it has such a large learning value, has a fairly rigorous schedule and is still so popular is reflective of the eagerness of Dayton students, not to mention students all over the state, to truly learn something. "Youth and Government helps students to gain skills like consensus building between extremely diverse groups of people, coming together to achieve a common cause," said Christopher Cavazos, a Youth and Government Senate member from 2004. Grace Lyman, a current member of Youth and Government, says that "Youth and Government is something I look forward to every year, and not just because it's a ton of fun. It has honestly helped me to become informed about and form my own opinions on important subjects so I'm not the kid in the corner that has nothing of worth to say."
Students who participate get a unique experience. As there is no competition, theirs is a purely learning one. The motto used, "Democracy must be learned by each generation," is surely an accurate representation of the purpose of Youth and Government. Learning about the inner workings of our government – the traditions, the plans and outlines designed by our founding fathers so many years ago – gives members of Youth and Government a rare insight into what our country truly is, the foundations on which it still stands.
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