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NYLC: A Fun-Filled Adventure in the
Capital
11A Philip Liou
Situated
in the nation's capital, NYLC (National Young Leaders Conference) provides its participants with the
nique opportunity to experience the workings of
the United States government while interacting
with other top students from across
the country. As a NYLC
participant, I was able to visit some
highly restricted areas, such as the Capitol Building.
One
of the most impressive aspects
of NYLC that I noticed
is
how well- structured and organized the
schedule is. Typically, we w oke up around 7:
00
AM, ate breakfast, and headed off to a one- hour LGM (
Leadership Group Meeting ). Then, until early afternoon, we would
tour
select sites in Washington, D.C., such as the war
memorials and important government buildings.
After we returned from the tour, sometimes we would
get a break
to social or catch up on reading
( there is quite a bit of reading to do). In
the evening before and after dinner there is usually
a debriefing of the day's activities and preparations
for future activities, such as the highly anticipated
Model Congress. At the end
of every day, around 10 P.M., we
would join some sort of recreational and social activity, like
the
T- shirt / ice- cream social or a
funny (and a little perverted) skit
by a local troupe. The
curfew was
set at 11 P. M. Usually, homework
( reading, mainly ) was assigned, and we had have
to devote
a portion of our free time to complete it.
The greatest ‘thing' about NYLC, I believe, is the
people. And I don't say this because I had great friends.
I met the largest congregation
of students ( almost 400 ) from
all around America I had
ever met. Kids from Alaska to
Arkansas to New Jersey to Tennessee
attended. Furthermore, all the kids were
the top students from their school. At NYLC,
I believe I saw the true
American teenage culture. Even though I
did not meet the brightest
kids, ( a top student from, say, Massachusetts
can have very different SAT I
scores from a top student
from, say, Arkansas ), every
single participant had a common
characteristic : they are all
leaders. Back at their
schools : thei r leadership
is why they were selected to attend
the conference. Everyone is a ctive
in the group is cussions, and everyon
evies for a leadership
position during activities. Vying
for leadership, a“phenomenon”not commonly seen, is even
less
common at NEHS. The array of people I
met at NYLC was just overwhelming,
One kid could balance anything on his
nose, from a bread basket to a lunch
tray. Another fellow NYLC-er lived four
houses
down from Scottie Pippen in Portland,
Oregon. Another talented girl happened to have
the same acting instructor as
Reece Witherspoon. As a participant of NYLC,
I
had the great privilege
to work with
this unique group of people.
Everybody was assigned to a LGM, which consisted of
approximately 15 people. During group meetings, which average five
a day, we learned about
the U.S. government, how it works, the
political parties, law, and history. We
also always discuss the pro's and con's of each outing we
had, whether it was a tour of
an embassy or a visit to the memorials, during “debriefing” sessions. The
heart of
the conference, however, was the Model Congress. The
Model Congress, whichwas held at the Marriot, is a very realistic simulation of
a session of Congress. Everyone must dress
in his or her professional attire.
During the Model Congress,
a bill regarding education was debated and eventually voted on. The
entire process
is very formal and exciting, and results
from hours of preparation and hard work.
All in all, NYLC was
an extremely fulfilling experience.
I met people from all over
the country, and from interacting with
them, I learned how to speak
out. I learned that a good leader
does more than get good grades.
A leader has tobe powerful
yet kind, cooperative yet steadfast. A
leader must know
when to speak out and when to listen. The ctivities
were
informative and offered me the chance to be
the leader I am. Along the way, my public
speaking skills were greatly
enhanced. During this five-day conference, I believe I
learned enough to last me a lifetime, or, at least, until next time.
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NYLC- Learning about Leadership, Learning about Life
—My Winter Vacation
11A Debbie Chang When
you're ready to plan your next winter or summer
vacation, what will you be looking for? Are you looking for
an excuse to go to America, or are you interested
in forging lasting friendships? Are you dying
to meet some famous politicians and even
celebrities, or are you ready to do some serious shopping? No
matter how you wish to spend
your time, the National Young
Leaders Conference (NYLC) will satisfy your needs. NYLC is a
five-day program located in the United States capital. Because of the high standard of
professionalism exemplified by its participants, the
program has acquired an excellent reputation in
the Washington, D.C. community. This means that each
session's approximately 400 students are
expected to dress in professional, conservative attire
whenever traveling off the 4-H campus where they live. On the plus
side, this means that the schedule of the program includes many events not open to the public, including photo opportunities
and passes to see Congress in session.
The
schedule, handed out to each student
at the beginning of the session, provides an accurate sense of the program. At first it is difficult to believe that five days is enough to accomplish even half of the listed tasks. These included tours of monuments and museums, several speeches from famous
politicians, a visit to an embassy, workshops,
shopping excursions, a few
socials and mixers, and simulations
of all three branches of the United States government. A
significant amount of reading was also assigned each night. At first I felt overwhelmed, and I worried
that I would never be able to keep up. Both
of my roommates also felt intimidated by the schedule
and by a sense of being relatively uninformed, but with
each other's support and the
encouragement and guidance of the
staff, everyone settled into the schedule. By the second day, we were having
too much fun to complain about sleep deprivation. When
not working as a large four
hundred person group, we split into designated groups for Leadership Group Meetings (
LGM). During these meetings we learned the most-- through the briefings
and debriefings, through preparation for simulations, and through interaction with our group members. My
most profound memory from NYLC is the Model Congress. My group represented Caucus B. We tried to insert our support of the pledge of allegiance as an amendment onto an
educational reform bill, which was to be voted on during the
Model Congress General Session. We campaigned
and we wrote speeches. We made nicknames
for each other and shared jokes, stories, and laughter. We became so involved
in our position, and put so much work towards our goal that when the amendment failed all
three preliminary reviews, our devastation moved some of us to tears and to tempers. The
General Session took place in a conference room at
the Marriot, where the elected Speaker of
the House, armed with a gavel, ran the session with the efficiency and professionalism of any
real Speaker. When our amendment inally passed, the
entire caucus erupted into ecstatic cheers, regardless
of whether we really supported the recitation
of the pledge, regardless of
whether we were Republicans or Democrats, whether
we were from New York or Tennessee or Taiwan. We were Caucus B, and our hard work had resulted in success. During our last LGM, we had the opportunity to hand
out each other's certificates of completion. One guy handed the paper to his roommate, emotionally saying, “We have gotten to know each other so well in just five
days that I think I've picked up my roommate's accent.” The rest of us in Caucus
B nodded our heads wisely, understanding exactly what he meant and how he
felt. We had arrived as strangers with our prejudices, our
weaknesses, our fears,
the only common thread being that we had been recognized as potential leaders
of tomorrow. We left feeling confident and more complete, our
prejudices
tempered
with experience and acceptance, our
weaknesses supported with knowledge of our
strengths,
our fears dissipated by
discovery of
our capabilities. And we left
with one strong
understanding :we cannot merely anticipate being the leaders of tomorrow; we must actively fill our role as the
leaders of today. |
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| Bus 6 on the way to the Hyatt for the Farewell Dinner-dance. |
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