Last week, 14 Groves students, including myself, had the privilege to visit the Capitol building with the Gender and Sexuality Alliance through their “It Gets Better” grant.

While I had high expectations for the trip, it surpassed my expectations entirely. The group took the journey from Groves High School to the Capitol and were quickly greeted by an assistant of Senator Jeremy Moss, a Groves alumni. We toured the building and admired its beautiful architecture.

Then, we entered a large room where we sat above in risers and watched the senate meet, take a recess and then come back together. Senator Moss gave a shout out to the students in attendance. When the senators met they discussed an ongoing relevant issue, “should kindergarten be mandatory for all 5 year olds?”. We watched members of opposing sides deliver speeches on the issue, and then we watched the senators take their seats and use their buttons to vote on the issue.

We stayed in fascination and watched the senators discuss a couple other various issues one-on-one. Afterwards, we went to Senator Moss’s office, where we asked questions about his experience at Groves— where he was involved with forensic and the Scriptor, and discovered his love for politics. He first went for his political passions by running for Southfield official and winning in 2011; this made Moss the youngest ever elected official in the city. Senator Moss also explained the significant improvements in Michigan for the LGBTQ community.

Finally, we walked to what I would call my highlight of the day— we ate delicious pizza and met with multiple senators and Senate and House staff members. Many of the student attendants prepared questions for the senators. We asked them particular questions on ongoing issues in Michigan and our country as a whole. We had meaningful conversations about gun laws and the implementation of the new gun safety laws, where guns can now legally be removed if the owner shows dangerous signs. This is used as a safety precaution and protects the owner and those around them. We also discussed the ban on conversion therapy and the importance of LGBTQ youth being suppourted and having resources. We talked about “The Hidden Opponent”, an organization run by Jackson Quinn that stands as a resource for athletes to face mental health issues and find help. This led to conversations about more mental health support being available. The lunch meeting lasted for over an hour and a half. Finally, the senators reiterated the importance of voting and our voices in the upcoming elections.