National LDZ Underway at Elmhurst College

More than 200 students from six states (Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska, and Texas) and Mexico have convened at Elmhurst College for the 2016 National Lorenzo de Zavala Youth Legislative Session, following last year’s historic three LDZ week.

Rocío Nairi Garza was elected president, Ramiro Rodríguez was elected vice-president, and Teddy Morales was elected Speaker of the House.

This year’s Supreme Court Justices are: Omar Abbud, Alejandro Balderas, Alejandra Beltrán, Alicia Camuy, Carlos Fernandez Issa, Montserrat Longoria, Renata Nava, Margaux Ochoa, and Finn Slavin.

Alejandra Beltrán, one of the Supreme Court justices, is already absorbing some of the key NHI tropes.

“The social narrative of the Latino Community is one of hard-working people for low money, always striving to get a college education, usually outside their country, and people who always follow but never lead,” she said. “That´s where we are wrong, if we keep viewing ourselves like that, there´s no way to progress as a Latino Community.”

“My proposal did not pass,” said Ángel Serna López, experiencing one of the common frustrations of students at the program. “I was the kind of guy who did not care about anything. But the LDZ has changed me. Look at me now, I´m mad about it!”

Sessions will continue through this afternoon.