Somerset students excel at state Youth Government convention
Somerset Area High School’s Youth Government delegation spent four days last month participating in a simulated state government session inside the state Capitol in Harrisburg.
The Pennsylvania Youth Government Model Legislative and Judicial Convention, which took place on April 13-16, concludes the efforts of over 550 students from across the commonwealth who participate in a year-long educational and civic engagement program at their respective schools. The program is sponsored by the State YMCA of Pennsylvania.
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During the program year, some of the students run for legislative positions (state Representatives and Senators) and write legislative bills, which the body then debates and votes upon in the state House and Senate chambers. Other students serve as judges, attorneys, lobbyists and media members, according to the State YMCA of Pennsylvania website.
“We had 18 students attend as either a Youth Senator or a Youth Representative,” said Chris Zanoni, co-adviser of Somerset’s Youth Government program, in an email to the Daily American. “If the piece of legislation passes through committee and both chambers (House and Senate) it goes to our Youth Governor who can decide to veto the legislation or sign it.”
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Somerset students who attended as legislators were Nicole Appel, Azul Sosa Ayala, Luna Sosa Ayala, Malorie Barron, Zach Gibbs, Robert Grega, Bradley Hauger, Olivia Hay, Drew Hearn, Violet Henry, Oshye'n Knisely, Summer Lindeman, Garrett Marsh, Kylie Miller, Roger Moore, Daniel Polaski, Katie Romesburg and Ava Rush.
Three of the Somerset students were selected as legislative leaders, Zanoni said: Olivia Hay was selected as a Senate Committee Chair, Katie Romesburg won a House Committee Chair position and Robert Grega was elected as a Penn Party Leader in the Senate.
Two pieces of legislation that were introduced by Somerset’s student legislators passed both houses and were signed into law by the Youth Governor. Hay was the main sponsor of one bill, with Romesburg as the co-sponsor, and Violet Henry sponsored the second bill, with Romesburg as the co-sponsor, Zanoni said.
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Somerset students Adria Spehar, Lindsey Shaffer and Eva Sanzi served as attorneys, where they wrote, presented and defended legal briefs to the Youth Supreme Court on a particular case chosen for the year, Zanoni said.
At the model convention, a group of board members from the State YMCA of Pennsylvania also selected a group of students to represent Pennsylvania at the YMCA Conference on National Affairs. Grega, Hay and Hearn were among the students selected to attend the national conference, which takes place in July in North Carolina.
“(The) Somerset delegation is supported tremendously by the school district and that is very much appreciated,” Zanoni said. He and Connie Myers are the co-advisors of Somerset’s Youth Government program.
This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Somerset students excel at state Youth Government convention
