Led by VCU, the inaugural Virginia Government Simulation gives college students an exercise in engagement

By Amelia Heymann

The House of Delegates chamber was filled this month with people debating and voting on bills. But it wasn't state lawmakers in their familiar space on the floor: It was college students getting a taste of what happens at the Virginia Capitol during every legislative session.

The inaugural Virginia Government Simulation was led by Virginia Commonwealth University's Institute for Democracy, Pluralism, and Community Empowerment from Oct. 3-5. The 45 student participants represented VCU, Bridgewater College, George Mason University, Hampton University, Radford University, Reynolds Community College, the University of Richmond, Virginia Peninsula Community College and Virginia Tech.

Amanda L. Wintersieck, Ph.D., associate professor in VCU's Department of Political Science in the College of Humanities and Sciences and director of the institute, said two other states - Tennessee and Illinois - have such simulations, and having taught in Tennessee, she wanted to bring such a program to Virginia. She was joined by fellow political science professors Chapman Rackaway, Ph.D., from Radford and Bobbi Gentry, Ph.D., from Bridgewater in a full year of preparation for the simulation.

Wintersieck highlighted several compelling benefits of the program. One is that many people don't know a lot about their state-level politics, and research has shown that high-impact simulations can lead to better learning outcomes for students than a semester-long class.

In visiting the state Capitol for the event, "there's this very real experience that's going to be embedded with them for much longer than other types of learning experiences," she said.

Another benefit is framed by the polarization of politics, particularly at the national level.

"We thought that this would be a good opportunity to bring students together to teach them about the legislative process, fill that knowledge gap, but also to bring students from all over Virginia together to begin to network and communicate - and to think more about the things that bring them together rather than things that divide them," Wintersieck said.

Students were assigned to be a Democrat or Republican lawmaker at random, which Wintersieck said helped emphasize the importance of pluralism. They elected party leaders, and they previously were given 30 bills from the 2024 legislative session to consider for debate. About a dozen had been selected, including bills related to minimum wage increases and artificial intelligence polity.

"The vastness of our state means that our students, and we as citizens, are siloed in our little parts of Virginia, and we don't necessarily think about the problems that our fellow Virginians face," Wintersieck said. "And so this is just a really good opportunity for them to see students from all over the place experience their issues and begin to network and form relationships."

Students were well-informed on the bills they were debating, and the excitement was palpable from the first day.

"When people were introducing a bill they felt passionate about, they shot up," said VCU student Ella Milton-Benoit, who was elected majority whip. "People were narrowly avoiding talking over each other, and I thought that was wonderful to see."

The 45 student participants represented VCU, Bridgewater College, George Mason University, Hampton University, Radford University, Reynolds Community College, the University of Richmond, Virginia Peninsula Community College and Virginia Tech. (Thomas Kojcsich, Enterprise Marketing and Communications)

Wintersieck was most impressed with how prepared the students were for the simulation. She noted that the group from VCU met once or twice a week to review the selected bills, and they even dressed up one day to make sure their outfits were coordinated.

Jory Cardoza, a Bridgewater student who was elected majority leader, said he was interested in the simulation because it would highlight state-level policies that have a wide impact on Virginians.

And VCU's Jackson Mallory, who was elected minority leader, said exploring that impact was particularly effective in a simulation exercise.

"I was able to see that there's other like-minded students that are also as excited, or even confused and lost, just as me - and we're all just in here getting the experience together," Mallory said.

In addition to acting as politicians, student participants served as media, writing stories for their college newspapers.

"The press is such an important and critical part of politics and part of our country," said Bridgewater student Elizabeth Burzumato, who welcomed the chance to expand her writing skills at the simulation. "And for us to be able to try it out in a very low-stakes environment like this means so much."

Bridgewater colleague Luke Lewis also was a mock journalist, which he said would expand his perspective after debating bills in his state and local government class.

"These are topics that I love to learn about and get more educated with, so I just thought it'd be a tremendous opportunity," he said.

On the final day of the event, the students voted to adopt minor changes that will shape the structure and operation of the 2025 Virginia Government Simulation. They also elected the inaugural governor (Collin Nicholson from Bridgewater) and lieutenant governor (Aaron Ress from UR) for the 2025 gathering.

To close this year's simulation, Del. Betsy Carr, who represents part of the Richmond area, spoke with students about the value of public service, and she encouraged students to remain engaged and committed to making a difference.

"Virginia is so fortunate to have a simulation government program," Carr said. "It is inspiring to spend time with these future leaders, and I know this program will help them realize their great potential."

The simulation cost students $25 to attend, but Wintersieck hopes that fund-raising could allow 150 student participants to attend next year at no cost. The money would cover housing, food and travel expenses as well as program costs.

"Running this kind of program is quite expensive, and we need support to make sure that our students can have these high-quality learning experiences," she said.

For more about the institute, including its online giving form, visit idpce.vcu.edu/about/.

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