Texas Youth and Government

Give us your opinions of the state Texas Youth and Government conference.  We would really like to know. 

By Jennifer Klein

With all the restaurants around the hotel, YAG delegates have many options to choose from. Hopefully, Cyber Media's food reviews will help you to decide from among the plethora of choices available for the ravenous. The Cheesecake Factory was the most quoted by YAG delegates when asked about their favorite restaurant. But what exactly is so great about the place? I investigated, and found out why so many people enjoy it. 

When we first walked into the restaurant, Lee High School student Shay remarked about the gorgeous atmosphere and ambience of the place. Food always seems to taste better when you are in a scenic place to enjoy it. The decorations adorning the walls were interesting to look at, and set a luxurious mood. I also noticed that they kept the lights rather dim. Experts say that you eat more when the lights are dim, and perhaps The Cheesecake Factory is banking on this fact, in hopes that people will still have enough room left for their famous dessert. 

After looking at the extensive menu of choices, those at my table chose to order a variety of dishes. Dian Hartono, of Lee High School in District 1, ordered Chicken Medallions to split with our advisor. The portion was huge, as are all things at the restaurant. Dian remarked that it was quite good, and that it reminded her of, "her mother's cooking." This is probably the best compliment that one could pay to a restaurant, as a mother's cooking is one things that most children regard with fondness. However, many of us were planning ahead when making our orders. We knew that it would be unwise to order a large meal, as then there would be no way that we could eat cheesecake (and no way that we could fit into our dresses for the Carnival!) So, I opted for a salad, as did my friend Shay. There were dozens of salads, ranging from the typical Caesar salad, to fancy "Luau" salads. After reading the fine print on the menu, it said that the "Weight Management Salads" were about 590 calories. When a supposedly "healthy" salad is this caloric, one can only imagine how many calories their other selections are! But of course, one does not go to the Cheesecake Factory in hopes of staying on a diet. I eventually decided on the "Endive Salad." This was comprised of lettuce of course, as well as pears, caramelized nuts, and chicken. Even though I had been forewarned of the huge portions, I was still shocked by the size of my salad. It looked as if there was an entire head of lettuce on my plate! The more and more I ate, the level of the salad never seemed to go down. Eventually, half of the salad ended up in a box to take back to the hotel.

After our main course, we got what we had been waiting for... cheesecake, of course! The page-and-a-half list made it difficult to choose, but we eventually did. I settled upon the Crazy Carrot Cake Cheesecake, which flawlessly swirled the two of my favorite desserts together. The cheesecake was perfect, without being overly sweet. Dian and Shay chose to split an Oreo Cheesecake. It was a typical cheesecake, with 3 whole Oreos inside, an an Oreo crust. 

I'd also like to remark upon the kind, courteous, and witty servers. Though most servers would be annoyed and overwhelmed by the large number of YAG groups that visited the restaurant, our server seemed perfectly calm. Despite our loud antics and picky orders, he remained unfazed. He was chatty and told jokes to us, and even agreed to have his picture taken by Shay. 

Finally, it must be noted that the Cheesecake Factory is not suitable for those on a budget! With simple salads about $12, and other meals around $15-20, a meal here can quickly eat away at your budget. The cheesecakes also range in price from about $6.50-$7.50. Be prepared to spend a bit more than usual, if you go here. But, keep in mind that it's worth every cent!

By Jennifer Klein

On Friday night, we had the YAG Flashback Carnival. All day Friday, the Cyber-Media bloggers eagerly anticipated the dance, and we were not disappointed. There was something for everyone, and it was a great chance for everyone to loosen up and relax. After a long day of work, it was nice to finally change into some comfortable clothes. All in all, the dance was a blast! Here are a few highlights of the Flashback Carnival:

The Outfits: The theme for the night was 60's, 70's, 80's, and 90's. With such a broad range of decades, there was quite a menagerie of outfits worn by delegates. A great majority opted to dress in 70's and 80's inspired outfits. Many girls wore hippie-esque dresses and sunglasses. There were also many Tie-Dyed shirts on both guys and girls. As for the 80's, there were tons of workout headbands, and leg-warmers. We also noticed many wearing leggings and electro-colors. 

The Dance: A fellow blogger described the dance as, "rowdy," and "up-beat." This is certainly the truth. Despite the fact that we all worked diligently the entire day in our different sections of government and media, we all managed to muster up some energy and spunk for dancing. The music was fun, and fit in to the theme of "Flashback" quite well. There were some perennial favorites playing, such as "YMCA." When "Thriller" came on, everyone was excited, even some adults who came onto the dance floor for the song. Some electro songs also made a big hit, like "Sandstorm." Some upbeat selections like "Cha Cha Slide" encouraged everyone to head to the dance floor. There were even some more recent hits played, like "Soulja Boy." Towards the end of the dance, we began a game of Limbo, which brought many smiles and giggles to those in the crowd. Even some of the candidates for governor joined in the fun, dancing and probably trying to gain votes along the way. 

For those who didn't feel like dancing, there was an array of other fun Carnival Games. 

Obstacle Course: I personally tried the obstacle course, and lost while racing a friend from my district. The course involved some climbing and squeezing through small spaces to ultimately complete the course.

Balloon Maker: Everyone loves balloon animals! There were some fabulous balloon sword fights going on, but this also led to many burst balloons.

Velcro Wall: Who doesn't enjoy getting into a velcro suit and running towards a velcro wall? This was a ridiculously fun activity, although it was a bit nonsensical.

Sumo Wrestling: This fun activity simulates an actual sumo-wrestling match, but in this case, you don't actually have to gain hundreds of pounds beforehand! Many enjoyed getting into a sumo suit and wobbling around, attempting to knock over their opponent. Undoubtedly, it is a fun experience watching your friend waddle in a sumo suit!

Free T-Shirts?!?- Near the end of the night, it was announced the T-Shirts were free. The massive crowd sprinted over to the T-Shirt table to score a free YAG T-shirt, and many were nearly trampled on the way over. But, hey, anything for free stuff, right?

All in all, the night was terrific. The Carnival gave us a perfect release of pent-up excitement, and definitely was one of the best parts of the YAG experience.

By Jennifer Klein & Angie Romero

There is no doubt that the position of Governor of Youth and Government is a prestigious role. We have four highly-qualified candidates this year, and our votes will determine who will win the office. Thus, it is crucial that we become well-informed about each of the candidates. Hopefully after reading this blog, you will have all the information you need to know before heading off to the polls. I urge you all to not vote for someone merely because the candidate is from your school, but instead, because of their platform and what they can do to make our YAG experience even better next year.  

Candidates for Governor

Nolberto Zubia- From Lee High School in Midland, Texas, Nolberto Zubia exemplifies a sense of passion for the Youth and Government program. Every word he speaks shows just how deeply he cares for the program and all its facets. He is also characterized by his sense of honesty and integrity. In all that says, Zubia conveys thoughts for the future of Youth and Government that he will truly implement.  If you've talked to Zubia, which you likely have done, you will see his clear sincerity. He means what he says, and promises to bring positive changes to the YAG program.

Timmy Clark- Timmy Clark exudes energy, confidence, and excitement. When listening to Clark's speeches, you can't help but become excited about what he is saying. He truly has mastered the art of rhetoric in his soulful speeches. This energy is clearly the result of his confidence in what he is saying and proposing for our next year of this program. His excitement s contagious, and he has a penchant for telling jokes. He humorously remarked to us, "What did one plate say to the other plate? ... Lunch is on me!"

Matthew Roberts- Matthew Roberts seeks to make the Youth and Government program more advanced, technologically. In this manner he hopes to create a mass email system for YAG. Roberts seems to be a guy that enjoys having fun, as you could have seen from his intense dance moves at the Carnival.

Lexi Gibson- Anyone that listened to Gibson's speech at the Campaign Rally will realize several things about her. First of all, she has quite a bit of experience. She will tell you about her brother and sister that participated in YAG before her, and about how she was inspired by them to excel in the program. The next thing that many YAG participants noted was her poise. She always has an air of confidence around her, and this reflects her ardent passion for the YAG program itself. Finally, Gibson seems to be an intelligent, witty young woman with an extensive vocabulary.