Are you in JSA? Do you want to get more involved? If so, apply for cabinet and prepare to experience a whole new side of JSA! Whether you're a sophomore who's only been to a few conventions, or a senior who's just finished off you're college apps, you won't want to miss out on this rare opportunity to make a difference in the Midwest. If you have any questions concerning the jobs/roles of the different departments, e-mail Summer Wu, the Midwest Chief of Staff at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Any cabinet member will testify that working as a part of Midwest JSA is extremely rewarding- just remember that when you apply, you are agreeing that you will make cabinet work your number one priority.  All applications are due by January 1st, 2012.

Click Here for the Application

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On November 19th and 20th, students debated, discussed, and even protested at the annual
Midwest JSA Fall State convention. Back in the capitol building of Madison, Wisconsin after a year in
Milwaukee, Fall State was an incredible experience for everyone there.

The primary goal of JSA is to develop the students of America into responsible, educated
citizens. This is done primarily through intellectual debate and thoughtful discussions. Throughout nine
serious blocks of debate, JSAers argued about everything from China to religion to the NCAA. Also
included were the traditional night debates, aimed to give the students a chance to relax with some
humorous debates, such as “Resolved, that the Harry Potter series promotes witchcraft among
children.”

The convention was also highlighted by a record three keynote speakers, two of which were
leaders of opposing political parties. Mark F. Miller, the Democratic Minority Leader of the Wisconsin
State Senate, and Glenn Grothman, the Republican Assistant Majority Leader of the Wisconsin State
Senate, spoke at the beginning and end of the convention respectively, while Jeff Burkhart from the
Madison Literacy Network spoke after lunch.

The most unique thing about this Fall State convention was the backdrop for it – as JSAers
debated various issues, a real political protest was happening in the capitol. Wisconsin citizens were
not pleased with Governor Walker, to say the least, and were protesting by holding a “Recall Walker”
rally. Aiming to get the 500,000+ necessary signatures to hold a recall election, protestors flooded the
streets. Convention planners specifically set aside some free time so that students could go and talk to
protestors, get a free sign, or just see what it was like. Many long-time JSAers mentioned that the rally
made this Fall State the best one yet.

As the convention came to a close and best speaker awards were handed out, many expressed
regret that Fall State was already over. Whether as a first-time JSAer or an experienced convention
veteran, this is one Fall State that everyone will remember.

It was nearly 10 am on Saturday, October 15^th. Over 50 high schoolers waited in anticipation for United States Congressman Todd Rokita to arrive at the Mooresville Town Government Center. They had heard Congressman Todd Young speak just a month ago, and now they wondered if this Representative would present them with any new ideas.

Rokita was casual throughout his hour-long speech. Refusing to remain on the stage, he wanted to talk to the students on a more personal level about the debt crisis currently facing the nation. Rokita used handouts with charts and real world examples to give the students an idea of the scale of this problem.

Once Rokita was done speaking, the students wondered if they had seen the best of the day’s activities. They were certainly proved wrong.

The day continued with debates on smoking in public, voting rights for convicted felons, and gay marriage and thought talks about healthcare, the Pledge of Allegiance, and public education. Towards the end of the day, the entire group participated in Polar Opposites; a game in which the room is divided into four quadrants and students must go where they feel their opinions fit the best. All topics concerned the theme of the day: Changing the Face of the Midwest.

One of most interesting things about this mini-convention was that the majority of the attendees were inexperienced; that is, none of them had formally debated before. This event truly gave Mooresville students a chance to form their own opinions on things that most of them had never even considered before. Many were inspired to join JSA and come to larger conventions.

One student in particular stood out to the older JSAers. Not knowing what he was getting into, this young man signed up to be a main speaker on the smoking debate. After preparing for a whole week, he gave the first student speech of the day to a crowd that still wasn’t sure about JSA. Since he had never been to a JSA meeting, the older JSAers weren’t quite sure what to expect of him. He blew us away with a speech that combined ethos and logos to create a very persuasive speech. At the end of the day, this student won Best Speaker for his debate, and promised to start attending meetings and conventions.

The journey that this young man and others went through at the Mooresville minicon is a perfect example of what JSA does all the time for students around the country.

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Congratulations to Neshal Patel (Midwest Lieutenant Governor) and Abhinav Brahmamdam, two JSAers who were recently selected to serve as members of the Student Advisory Council (SAC) of the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE)!

The SAC is composed of students from across the state, and it’s aim is to ensure that student’s opinions and concerns are brought to the attention of the ISBE. The SAC also researches and presents their own project at the end of the year. The students were chosen based on a “strong work ethic” and “the ability to think creatively and work well in groups”.

For the full news release, go to http://www.isbe.state.il.us/news/2011/oct18.htm