The day began with an attempt at raising
the flag, however the weather unfortunately did not permit the performing of
the flag-raising ceremony. Nevertheless, ALA Girls Nation had a fantastic and
enlightening day selecting the presidential and vice presidential candidates,
an individual for each position (president and vice president) from both the
Nationalist and Federalist parties. Hailing from the Nationalist party,
presidential candidate Amal Ali from Texas and vice presidential candidate
Tytiana Curtain from Wisconsin. As for the Federalist party, Hoda Abdalla, from
South Carolina, was selected to be the party’s presidential candidate, and
Finnley Senese, from Florida, was selected to be the party’s vice presidential
candidate.
On a note of exploration and
enlightenment, ALA Girls Nation senators set out to learn from, appreciate, and
respect the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. The stunning exhibits
portrayed the cruel reality of the Holocaust and conveyed the importance of
preventing such an atrocity from occurring once more. The museum shared the
stories of those murdered and those that survived the Holocaust in an extremely
impactful and respectful manner, giving ALA Girls Nation senators an
opportunity to appreciate the justice inherent to our great nation and the
importance of being aware of the modern world and its history to prevent future
tragedies. It was a somber moment, however also an urgent reminder of the
necessity of paying careful consideration to world affairs, such as the
humanitarian crises in Syria, Myanmar, and other nations experiencing turmoil.
The group then headed to the American
History Museum for a delightful dinner and then was promptly on its way to
visit the national World War II Memorial, at which they had the joy of singing
patriotic songs to the enjoyment of fellow tourists. The Lincoln Memorial was
quite a highlight of the day as the enormous, towering statue of former
President Abraham Lincoln gave ALA Girls Nation senators quite a lot to think
about in regards to the founding principles of the nation that has lead to its
uniqueness and success.
In terms of fun and friendly
competition, the day was not lacking as it ended with the energetic decoration
of the room in which tomorrow's political rally will occur. Although in the end
the room did look amazing, decked out in both the Nationalist and Federalist
party colors, there might have been a little more dancing than decorating –
completing another successful day of ALA Girls Nation filled with achievement,
growth, and fun.
Best,
Mariam Kish, CT
