The GRC Student Y Club has been working to get their bills, and delegates ready for the Kentucky Youth Assembly conference Nov. 19-21.
Mr. Jeffrey Barnett took on the role as sponsor of the GRC Y-Club last year. Barnett is excited for what’s coming up for his club.
“I was hesitant to take over because I was already the sponsor for NHS, but after another month of Y-Club being without a sponsor, I knew that I needed to take on the job,” he said. “I couldn’t let this club cease to exist because they couldn’t find a sponsor.”
The Kentucky Youth Assembly (KYA) is a model of state government. The weekend is spent debating, voting, and vetoing bills about Kentucky.
KYA closely replicates the positions in real government, and the voting process. There are roles such as Governor, Speaker of the House, Speaker of the Senate, Clerks, and Chairs. These roles are chosen by the other delegates at the conference and are taken very seriously to those campaigning.
High schools from all over Kentucky come to this conference and “compete” against each other, while also forming new friendships.
“KYA gives us the opportunity to learn more about our state legislature and meet lots of dedicated peers in Kentucky,” said Zach Ross, co-president of the GRC Y-Club. “Some of my closest friends have come from Y-Club.”
The bill authors at GRC have been researching and writing since these meetings started to make the best bills they can. GRC Bluegrass bill sponsors are Mckinley Harper, Caitie Harper, and Maahi Patel, who are writing a bill for mental health checks in foster care systems. GRC Commonwealth bill sponsors Mallory Jones and Caroline Harper are writing about EKGs during health physicals.
These bills will be read in a court setting to a group of delegates, who then decide if the bill should pass to the next round. If the bill makes it through two rounds of voting, it is then sent to the Governor and cabinet to declare if the bill is vetoed or not.
“My favorite part is being able to see students from all over the state come together for three days to be a part of something they are passionate about, something they take ownership of, and just having a blast,” said Mr. Barnett.
There is truly something for everyone at KYA.
If you aren’t as interested in the bills, you can be in the Supreme Court. There are Attorneys, Justices, Clerks, an Attorney General, and Chief Justice.
In the Supreme Court, attorney teams have the opportunity to work with law students, attorneys, and legal professionals to prepare for their vocal arguments. When not presenting arguments, delegates advise the Attorney General on the constitutionality of bills passed by the House and Senate. These opinions will be presented to the Governor when reviewing bills to pass or veto.
You can also be in the media corps. These students go around taking photos, filming videos, doing interviews, and posting on social media platforms.
Each delegate is assigned a portion of the conference to cover. And at the end of each conference, a slideshow of weekend highlights is presented. The media corps is responsible for making this.
Even if KYA doesn’t sound like your thing, in the spring, Y-Club goes to another conference, KUNA (Kentucky United Nations Assembly).
KUNA is a similar set up as KYA, but instead of the bills being about Kentucky, each school picks a country to advocate for. There is an international stage where your school can represent the culture of your chosen country by doing a dance, singing a song, reading a script, etc.
And there’s a World Expo to display a poster board with facts about each country that everyone gets to walk around and see. International issues rather than our personal state issues are the focus at KUNA.
Each conference is full of general assemblies, silent discos, and overpriced smoothies, but it truly is a highlight of the school year.
While it’s too late to attend KYA, it’s not too late to sign up for KUNA and be a part of this wonderful club.
“Y-Club is a little bit like a roller coaster,” explains Mr. Barnett. “Roller coasters have big hills, a lot of turns, can be scary at times, but overall, roller coasters are an absolute blast! I think it takes a lot and it says a lot about the students that are actively wanting to take on this task.”
