Mountain Brook well represented at State Legislative Conference

May 2, 2012 9:07 AM

Photo courtesy of Helen Pruet.

More than 300 high school students attended the 64th YMCA Youth Legislature conference in Montgomery. Mountain Brook was well represented with 33 students, 16 of which were ninth grade students in the first year chamber from Mountain Brook Junior High. The first year chamber teaches the students about decorum and legislative protocols.

This year’s Presiding Officer, elected at last year’s conference, was Jeff Rogers, a junior at Mountain Brook High School. Several freshmen were elected to attend officer’s training in January to learn the responsibilities for the positions: Baily Martin, Floor Leader; Cooper Barnes, Reading Clerk; and Natalie Jones, Assistant Clerk.

The delegation brought home many accolades as they engaged in the challenging legislative process in Alabama’s State House. For the opening session, the guest speakers were Dr. Robert Bentley and Judge Tommy Bryan.

Sergie Kampakis was awarded First Year Best Bill for “Biking Lanes Act.” Bills signed into law by the youth governor Jackson Britten were “Community Service for High School Students” by Madelyn Rosenthal, “Defensive Driving Bill” by Lacey Ballard, and “More Fruits and Veggies - Less Rate of Obesity - The Alabama Public Meal Solution” by Cooper Barnes. Outstanding Delegates selected in the First Year Chamber were Cooper Barnes, Natalie Jones, Baily Martin, Daniel McCool and Paul Roth.

Ninth grade representatives were Cooper Barnes, Vince Bolus, Jack Carvalho, Will Freeman, Sergei Kampakis, Daniel McCool, Paul Roth, Gene Thagard, Lacey Ballard, Cate Harmon, Kelley Jiang, Natalie Hones, Lindsey Kirk, Baily Martin, Joely Nadler and Madeyln Rosenthal.

Next year’s state officers elected at the conference from Mountain Brook were Lieutenant Governor Zijie (Stephen) Yin, Speaker of the House Jeff Rogers, Secretary of State Murray Manley, House Pro-Temp Ben Jackson, House Floor Leader Hannah Mouyal and First Year Presiding Officer Amelia Putnam. Mountain Brook won all but three officer positions.

Five Mountain Brook High School students, Ben Jackson, Zijie Yin, Amelia Putnam, Jeff Rogers, and Wayne Ingram, were among 20 students chosen from across the state to attend the National Affairs conference in North Carolina this summer. Rebecca Fleisig, Hannah Mouyal and Natalie Jones were named alternates for the conference.