BY MAGGIE MCGONAGLE (’15)

Students traveled to the state house in Columbus, Ohio late last week to participate in Youth in Government.
It is a “fun and eye-opening experience,” said senior Will Emery.

Emery holds the role of president of the YIG club at our school, and he is also the governor of the state when they travel to the state house. John Ball and Madeline Rogers serve as vice presidents alongside Will. Emery began his involvement with the club in 8th grade. He was originally invited to be a page, which meant that he would have to deliver messages.

“Basically we get 3 days off to take over the state house and act like a real government,” said Emery.
There are 500 students who participate in this event. It truly is like a government. There are chamber floors, and the goal is to get a bill passed and for it to travel all the way to the house floor.

Granville has the largest number of students that participate in the state. Out of all of the students from our school that go, most of them are underclassmen.

Will said that “it’s pretty cool that we have such young interest in the group.”

Basically when arriving to the conference students are broken into small groups to create a bill. They range in topics anywhere from smoking laws to abortion. It is a very tedious process, and “you never know what kind of interesting laws will be proposed,” said Emery.

Once partners have created a bill, they are asked to present it in front of a small committee. If the bill passes it is then presented to the chamber floor of 90-100 people which is quite “nerve wracking,” claimed Will.

Within the school system we have a few students that hold positions in the student-led government. Robbie Weaver is the speaker of the Scarlet House, and Arthur Lian is the president of the Grey Senate. John Ball is also Chief Justice.