SHORELINE — A group of young women are busy preparing for the 2005 Washington YMCA Youth Legislature, May 4-7 in Olympia.
Preparing is interchangeable with debating.
As many as eight high-school students meet bimonthly at the Shoreline/South County YMCA for the Youth and Government program and debate bills, such as smoking cigarettes in bars. They also discuss current events in world politics, such as Terri Schiavo and oil drilling in Alaska.
The program enables the girls, all African American, to learn firsthand about the democratic process utilized by lawmakers, as they eventually “become” senators, representative, lobbyists and reporters for four days in Olympia.
One of two presidents of the team, Tirhase Haddis, 15, attends Shorecrest High School. This is her second year on the team and Haddis is most interested in bills that affect her age group. She said through the program, members learn to write a bill on any topic of their choice, such as affirmative action, marijuana, health, or abortion. When they eventually travel to Olympia, members will participate in committees and debate bills proposed by other participants.
“We get a chance to practice bills and talk to representatives,” Haddis said. “It makes us better public speakers.”
Rahel Goitom, 15, is the second president of the group and also attends Shorecrest High School. Goitom said due to the skills she has obtained through the Youth and Government program, she hopes to one day be a lawyer.
“If you don’t have confidence, this builds confidence,” Goitom said.
On Thursday, April 7, five of the girls showed up to practice their debating skills, and focused first on the Terri Schiavo controversy.
Abinnet Ainalem, 16, said although she does not have a firm opinion on the issue, her perspective was influence by the fact that Schiavo’s husband had another family. She said a person should not have power over someone else’s life.
Sandra Gould, 15, favored removing Schiavo’s feeding tube, saying the news reported that Schiavo’s brain was disintegrated, except for her olfactory senses.
“If that was me, I would not want to be in a bed waiting to die,” Gould said.
Raheal Aragawi, 15, disagreed with Gould, stressing that Shiavo should have the right to decide if she wanted to live.
Goitom suggested there should be an additional check box on drivers’ licenses to specify a person’s personal inclination regarding life support, in case they are ever in a similar situation.
Haddis compared the situation to prisoners in maximum prison, saying most of the prisoners will never be freed. She asked the other members what was the point of the prisoners living if they are just wasting a cell.
The others reminded her it was for punishment purposes.
Ainalem, who attends Shoreline Christian School, said in addition to the Youth and Government program, she is involved in other leadership activities such as serving as sophomore class president, and is a member of the mayor’s youth council. She is interested in world politics and prefers to think of the whole world instead of just the country.
Aragawi, who attends Ballard High School, was considering becoming a lawyer, but now wants to be a pediatrician. She says she is more receptive to different types of leadership skills after participating in the program. Aragawi is preparing to debate a bill in Olympia regarding changing the voting age to 16. She is partners with Ainalem on the bill. The two will be debating the bill in front of hundreds of people in Olympia.
“I feel that 16-year-olds are aware of what goes on, especially with history classes,” Aragawi said.
Gould attends Shorecrest High School and is preparing a bill that would expand on the depth of history taught in schools. She says students now primarily learn only about western civilization and she wants to expand programs to include history of other countries.
“Seventy-five percent of students don’t know about other countries,” Gould said. “To be a successful business person today, they need to know.”
Amy Holland, youth development director at the YMCA, said the young women are busy preparing for the May event, which includes organizing fund-raisers to pay for hotel costs. The girls began meeting in October to ready themselves for traveling to Olympia, and only two of the members participated last year.
“Until we go to Olympia, it is hard to get the big picture,” Holland said.
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