The Daily Delegate

Hello CalY&G! If we haven’t already had the pleasure of meeting, I’m Tracy Guan, a freshman at The College Preparatory School in Oakland and secretary/treasurer-elect of the Oakland Delegation, but more relevantly, one of your Forum Editor-in-Chiefs for 2026. To be honest, I signed up for Editor-in-Chief at the start of the year just for the sake of signing up for a leadership position. Somehow, my interview went smoothly and I now get asked (alongside the other forum leadership) about whether I would wear quarter zips or Nike tech. Yay? But that’s not all there is to being an editor, nor is that all that there is to media. Media, and even Forum as a whole, is a space to share your voice with the wider program. You get to write about virtually anything (assuming you’ve finished your committee duties), and that cements your legacy in Y&G forever. I’m sure that’s been on many of our minds after that wonderfully written speech by Violet Chin at Opening Joint Session. Will you be remembered as the person who handed out squishies or plastic gems as part of your run for PO (presiding officer)? Will you make your mark as the person who listens to Gregorian chants? Or will you be known as the person who passionately debated and defended your committee’s bill? For the delegates in the ’25-’26 program year, the way many decided to make their mark was by focusing on ensuring the well-being of all their fellow constituents and that everyone can be heard.

Bill Summary: Speaking Up

Committees across both houses wrote bills to address issues of mental health, rights, and the affordability of college. Personal favorites from one of your Forum Chief Lobbyists, Liam Painter, include the IEP (Individualized Education Plans) bill, the bill on using money from tax exemptions to fund solar panel implementation and research, and the bill to fund wellness centers (calm and safe spaces with anytime access) in all Californian schools. Joy Tsai, the other Forum Chief Lobbyist of ’26, found the bills on psychedelic therapy, immigration justice, and the destigmatization of disabilities within California schools, to be the most interesting. Both lobbyists agreed that the Forum bills they’d encountered were all agreeable and niche, praising the achievability of the bills despite their ambitious aims to challenge the status quo.

Bill Spotlight: When asked about what they would considered the most impactful bill, our Forum Chief Lobbyists shared that they found particular interest in the bill on immigration, fitting of the issues our country is currently grappling with. Joy explains that the bill would provide legal counseling for immigrants, more specifically, those who are undocumented and about to be deported. She shares that she found the bill inspiring, as it allowed those leaving the country they call home a beacon of hope and a chance at justice.

How to Continue Your Legacy

But what is legacy anyway? Legacy: ‘something handed down from an ancestor or a predecessor or from the past (American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language)’. I usually think of “legacy” as what Hamilton keeps singing about in the musical, but exists very tangibly outside of the theatre world. And no, I don’t mean wealthy heirs applying to college. I’m talking about how just about anyone can make a difference and how that difference can be remembered in numerous ways. In that way, there is no real way to control what your legacy will become. But you can shape it! Through your actions of kindness in lending a phone charger, your bravery in raising your placard, and hope for our generation’s ability to change this world, you have made an impact in this world, however small or insignificant it may seem to you. In this impact is where change starts, where the world begins to better itself. Thus, I thank the Forum group of 2026 for their passion for equal speech and rights for all, and encourage the continued dedication to learning and evolving the law beyond the Forum program area, and even beyond the youth and government program.

P.S.: For making it this far, you can claim a snack/piece of candy from me! Just come up to me anytime and ask politely 🙂