>> Eric: IT'S A REALLY TRADITION, THE YMCA HOLDS ITS STUDENT YOUTH IN GOVERNMENT PROGRAM IN EARLY JANUARY BEFORE THE LEGISLATIVE SESSION STARTS, AND WELCOMES STUDENTS TO THE CAPITOL FOR A MULTI-DAY MOCK LEGISLATURE.

STUDENTS MEET UP, THEY DRAFT BILLS, BRING THEIR LEGISLATION THROUGH COMMITTEE, EVEN DEBATE ON THE HOUSE FLOOR.

SO JOINING US NOW IS ADDY BERG, A SENIOR AT LAKES INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGE ACADEMY, EMI REN, SENIOR AT MOUNDS VIEW HIGH SCHOOL, PROUD MUSTANG.

AND WESLEY FREIBERG IS A JUNIOR AT JEFFERSON HIGH SCHOOL.

WELCOME TO "ALMANAC."

PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE.

WHAT GOT YOU INTERESTED IN THIS PARTICULAR ACTIVITY?

>> I BEGAN AS AN EIGHTH GRADER AND MY FIRST YEAR I WAS IN THE SENATE AND I WROTE MY BILLS ON ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND ALL OF THAT, THAT JUST GOT ME SUPER INTERESTED IN THE LEGISLATURE AND THE PROCESS OF PASSING BILLS BECAUSE IT WAS SOMETHING I WAS SUPER PASSIONATE ABOUT.

THAT PASSION TURNED INTO WANTING TO BECOME MORE OF A LEADER AND TAKE ON THE LEADERSHIP ROLE OF RUNNING THE SENATE.

AND THAT BROUGHT ME TO THE PRESIDENCY IN THE END.

>> WESLEY, WHAT'S YOUR ORIGIN STORY?

>> WELL, I FOUND OUT ABOUT YOUTH IN GOVERNMENT, THE CENTER FOR YOUTH VOICE, BRANCH OF THE "Y" THAT DOES ALL THIS THROUGH A BOOTH AT THE STATE FAIR.

MINNESOTAN THROUGH AND THROUGH.

I HAD A PAMPHLET I GOT AS A SIXTH GRADER THAT I HELD ONTO FOR TWO YEARS BEFORE I WAS ABLE TO JOIN ND I'VE JUST EXPLORED AND DOVE IN IN THAT TIME.

>> Eric: EMI, WHAT ABOUT YOU?

>> LET ME TELL YOU I'VE BEEN INTERESTED IN POLITICS SINCE I WAS YOUNG BUT ESPECIALLY WHEN I FOUND OUT ABOUT THE COURTS PROGRAM, I MIGHT WANT TO GO TO LAW SCHOOL IN THE FUTURE, MIGHT WANT TO BE A LAWYER, AND I WENT AND THOUGHT OH, MY GOSH, THIS IS SO INTERESTING, THIS IS SO COOL TO PRETEND TO BE A LAWYER AND ALL THE COURT CASES AND EXPLORE A DIFFERENT ASPECT OF GOVERNMENT.

WHEN PEOPLE THINK OF GOVERNMENT THEY THINK OF BILLS, BUT REALLY THE JUDICIAL SECTOR IS A BIG PART OF THAT, RIGHT?

>> Cathy: RIGHT, SO ERIC AND I ARE OLD POLITICAL REPORTERS, AND I WONDER WHEN WE HAVE SO MUCH POLARIZATION AND MISTRUST AND DISTRUST AROUND POLITICS, YOU GUYS ARE REALLY EXCITED WHICH MAKES US FEEL WONDERFUL.

BUT I'M WONDERING, WHAT DO YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THE LEVEL OF POLITICAL POLARIZATION IN THIS COUNTRY AS A YOUNG PERSON?

>> HONESTLY, IT IS A LITTLE BIT DISHEARTENING TO SEE PEOPLE BEING SO HARSH ON EACH OTHER AND REALLY SPREADING HATE INSTEAD OF KINDNESS.

BUT BEING AT YIG I THINK BRINGS MAZE A LOT OF HOPE.

-- ME A LOT OF HOPE.

SEEING PEOPLE WHO HAVE SIMILAR GOALS FOR THE FUTURE OF POLITICS WHERE WE WANT TO CREATE LIKE A RESPECTFUL SPACE WHERE EVERYBODY'S OPINIONS ARE HEARD JUST LIKE WE DO IN OUR YOUTH LEGISLATURE.

>> ALSO WE DON'T HAVE ANY POLITICAL PARTIES WHATSOEVER AT YOUTH IN GOVERNMENT.

IT'S SOLELY FOCUSED ON MAKING SURE PEOPLE GET CIVIC ENGAGEMENT.

WE DON'T CARE IF YOU'RE A DEMOCRAT, RIGHT, EFT, WHATEVER, WE JUST WANT YOU TO LEARN ABOUT PROCESSES, VOTING, OUR SYSTEMS AND MAKING PEOPLE PARTICIPATE IN THOSE ILLS BECAUSE IT'S POLARIZING.

>> I'M 17.

>> 17.

>> 17.

>> Eric: HOW ABOUT 17-YEAR-OLDS VOTING?

IT COMES UP AT THE LEGISLATURE.

YOU GUYS ARE HIGH INFORMATION PROSPECTIVE VOTERS DOUBT DO YOU THINK IT WOULD WORK?

16, 17?

>> THAT'S A TRILLION INTERESTING QUESTION.

OUR MOTTO IS DEMOCRACY MUST BE LEARNED BY EACH GENERATION.

ONE OF OUR PROGRAMS THAT ISN'T DIRECTLY RELATED TO YOUTH IN GOVERNMENT, THIS CONFERENCE BUT ANOTHER PROGRAM OF THE CENTER FOR YOUTH VOICE IS OUR STUDENTS VOTING PROGRAM.

WE HAD IT IN ALMOST 500, MORE THAN 500 SCHOOLS ACROSS THE STATE.

WE HAD LIKE 200,000 KIDS VOTE.

>> Eric: WOW.

>> OUR GOAL IS TO INSTILL THE MISSION OF DEMOCRACY, THE IDEA OF DEMOCRACY, CIVILITY AAS WELL IN THESE YOUNG PEOPLE.

WHETHER OR NOT VOTING PAT 17 IS A GOOD IDEA, WITH US I THINK IT WOULD BE AND WE NEED TO SPREAD THAT IDEA TO OTHERS.

>> Eric: YEAH, WHAT DO YOU GUYS THINK?

>> SOMETHING I ACTUALLY FIND REALLY INTERESTING ABOUT THAT IS THAT AT LEAST ONCE MAYBE EVEN TWO OR THREE TIMES A YEAR A BILL COMES UP IN THE LEGISLATURE THAT STUDENTS HAVE WRITTEN THAT WANTS TO LOWER THE VOTING AGE TO I FEEL LIKE I'VE SEEN 16 IS USUALLY THE MOST COMMON AGE.

>> LOWEST IS 14 THIS YEAR.

YEAH, I WAS GOING TO SAY I'VE SEEN LOWER.

IT'S SOMETHING YOUTH RE PASSIONATE ABOUT ESPECIALLY IN A PROGRAM LIKE THIS, WE WANT TO HAVE A VOICE, SO.

>> Cathy: ARE THERE OTHER ISSUE THAT'S THE MINNESOTA LEGISLATURE SHOULD TAKE UP THAT YOUNG PEOPLE ARE REALLY PASSIONATE ABOUT?

>> WELL, I MEAN, HUGE ONE IS PROTECTION IN SCHOOLS, RIGHT?

A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE SCARED TO GO TO SCHOOL THESE DAYS.

THEY'RE ORRIED ABOUT GUN CONTROL AND ALL THOSE TYPES OF THINGS AND I BELIEVE THERE WAS ACTUALLY A BILL PROPOSED IN THE LEGISLATURE WHERE YOU COULD TEACH SELF-PROTECTION IN CLASSES.

AND SO IT'S REALLY INTERESTING TO SEE HOW PEOPLE INTERACT WITH THE EDUCATION SYSTEM IN THESE TIMES AND ALSO LIKE WHAT THEY THINK IS REALLY IMPORTANT, BECAUSE THAT'S WHY WE PASS ALL THE BILLS AND THEN WE CREATE A BOOK FROM THOSE AND THEN WE SEND THOSE TO THE ACTUAL LEGISLATURE, THAT WAY THEY CAN SEE WHAT WE'RE DOING AND SEE WHAT WE CARE ABOUT AND MAYBE MODEL SOME OF THEIR OWN BILLS OFF OF IT.

, HAVE YOU FOUND YOUR CAREER PATHS ALREADY?

>> I'M HOPING TO GO INTO ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES OR PUBLIC POLICY.

HOPEFULLY A MIX OF THE TWO.

>> Eric: WESLEY?

>> MY WORK AT YOUTH AND GOVERNMENT LIKE EMI'S IS MORE LOGISTICS, FUND-RAISING, BACKGROUND, SOCIAL MEDIA BEHIND THE SCENES, WORKING WITH THE STATE OFFICE, THE ADULTS AT THE "Y" THAT PUT THAT ON.

I'VE GOTTEN TO KNOW THE "Y" REALLY WELL AS AN ORGANIZATION AND THAT'S WHERE I MIGHT SEE MYSELF.

>> Eric: CAREER PATH.

LAW SCHOOL IT SOUNDS LIKE.

>> LAW SCHOOL BUT ALSO ECOMING A FOREIGN SERVICE OFFICER THROUGH THAT LAW DEGREE.

I'D LOVE TO WORK WITH GETTING PEOPLE VISAS, GREEN CARDS, ALL THOSE THINGS AS AN IMMIGRANT CHILD MYSELF.

SUPER PASSIONATE ABOUT AND Y.I.G.

HAS ENABLED ME TO BE IN THESE SPACES.