Haley Spencer
Eighth Grade – MMS
Last week, eighth grade students from Marlinton and Green Bank Middle schools had the opportunity to travel to Charleston to attend the Youth and Government seminar.
We arrived on February 25, and were bused to the state capitol to participate in a tour of the capitol and to visit the supreme court where the judicial process takes place.
The following day we were able to meet with our district’s delegates, Bill Hartman and Cody Thompson, before their session began, and we were introduced on the floor of the House of Delegates.
We went onto the floor of the State Senate, where we were again introduced, and we were able to sit in on the senate’s afternoon session. Our senators, Greg Boso and Bill Hamilton, took time to meet with us.
A guided tour through the governor’s mansion was part of the seminar, and there we visited the governor’s library, and saw 55 china cups, with designs from each of the state’s 55 counties.
Returning to the hotel, the students participated in a mock trial, and learned about the process of an actual prosecuting trial.
That evening, students attended a formal dinner in the hotel with the legislators from their respective counties.
The final activity was to attend night court in the Magistrate Court of Kanawha County. The students observed arraignments for two men who were charged with felonies.
We also toured the jail cells, to see the other side of the system.
On the final morning, the students met with Secretary of State Mac Warner’s assistant before everyone went their separate ways for their journey home.