The Texas state legislature isn’t in session, but the Redhawks chapter returned from the Youth and Government (YG) state conference on Sunday bringing home multiple awards including the Premier Delegation.
“This success really means a lot to me,” YG President and Outstanding Club Leader recipient, Sankeertana Malakapalli said. “I am super proud of our delegation and I know everyone, regardless of awards, truly put their best foot forward and tried their best! It can be really challenging to put yourself out there and get up and defend your ideas in front of hundreds of delegates, so I am honestly extremely extremely proud of everyone, especially our first-year delegates.”
Sophomore Aaryan Srivastava, one of three Redhawks who were named a Distinguished Delegate, entered the competition with a clear strategy which ultimately paid off.
“Going into YG State, I had this determination to make myself stand out in committee and joint by standing up each time and always getting involved in debate,” Srivastava said. “To receive this recognition really affirms me to have a strong sense of confidence and just speak from the heart about current issues.”
For some students, districts proved to be a reality check, and allowed for improvements before the next level of competition.
“In districts, I was very disappointed with my performance as my bill didn’t pass in committee and I especially folded under the pressure,” Srivastava said. “However, in state, I truly learned the ins and outs of my bills before the conference and was able to give a stellar presentation for it to get unanimously passed in committee.”
With these accomplishments under their belt, there is more in store for the delegates over the next few months.
“Some of our delegates will be applying for the Conference on National Affairs (CONA), which is basically the national version of YG,” Malakapalli said. “Additionally, we’ll probably continue to meet every couple of weeks to practice debating, keep our skills sharp, and start preparing for next year!”
