Wheaton Warrenville South Youth & Government Goes to Springfield

Youth and Government is an academic club at Wheaton Warrenville South High School in CUSD 200. During the March 20th weekend, WWSHS educators and a parent volunteer supervised 70 students as they debated bills and argued legal cases at the State Capitol in Springfield. Student membership mostly consists of juniors and seniors, but several sophomore lobbyists take part in the experience as well.

Youth and Government is a year long program run by the Illinois YMCA that works with high schools to offer young adults an opportunity to learn about the legislative and judicial process and then apply what they have learned in a “hands on” experience at the Springfield. Mr. Chuck Williams, a Social Studies educator, is the head sponsor who has supervised the club for over 10 years. Mr. Richard Mitchell, an English educator and former attorney, leads the Judicial Program along with Mr. Fred Tietze, a parent volunteer and attorney. Mr. Tietze’s son (a recent college graduate) participated in the Judicial Program while at WWSHS. Mr. Tietze was so impressed with the Youth and Government program that he has continued to volunteer every year. Mrs. Johnna Rediehs, a Social Studies educator, also volunteers throughout the school year and has accompanied the group to the weekend Springfield event on several occasions.

This year long activity begins in September. Students in the Legislative Program develop bills, research support for their proposed bills, and prepare arguments as to why their bills should become law. Students participating in the Judicial Program also begin meeting in September. Student attorneys are presented with two cases that involve allegations of murder. Attorneys choose cases and whether they will be representing the defendant or acting as prosecution on behalf of the State.

In addition to weekly meetings all students take part in two Friday after school sessions called Pre-Leg I and Pre-Leg II which are held at local area high schools. During Pre-Leg, students from across our region are organized into legislative committees to present their bills and debate with bill groups from other high schools. Judicial Program students receive training by area attorney volunteers in preparing a case for trial, in conducting a trial, and in post trial appeals. Student attorneys also prepare for and participate in a Mock Trial competition with several area high schools. Just as in a real trial, student attorneys make openings and closings, present their witnesses, and cross examine the witnesses presented by the opposition. Once the trial is over, student attorneys begin reading legal cases and drafting bench memos for the appeals process.

All students participate in regional elections for offices such as Governor, Secretary of State, and Chief Justice. In the 2012-2013 YAG session our own WWS Robert Lampros received the high honor of being elected Illinois Student Governor.

All of the hard work of the students and their sponsors during the year culminates in Springfield where more than 900 students from all over the state spend the weekend engaged in mock legislation and mock oral arguments. Students don their suits and follow the tight schedules set by committees in the House and Senate where they use Robert’s Rules of Parliamentary Procedure to discuss their bills. If bills pass the House and Senate, students witness their bill being signed into law by the Student Governor. At the same time the legislature is in action, student attorneys and student judges are intensely engaged in appellate arguments. At the end of the weekend both the legislative and judicial branch converge as bill groups must defend their newly enacted laws from the constitutional scrutiny of the student Illinois Supreme Court.

Mrs. Rediehs best expresses the sentiment of the weekend event when she says, “It is truly a joy to feel the energy and excitement that the students exhibit as they actively engage in civic education.”

If you would like to learn more about the Youth and Government program, please visit www.ilymcayg.org.

Thank you, Mr. Williams, Mr. Mitchell, Mr. Tietze, and Mrs. Rediehs for making this civic opportunity available for our students.