Have you ever wondered why you need a license to fish, hunt, or become a barber? Have you ever wondered why you have to be 21 to drink alcohol but only 18 to join the military or gamble? Have you ever wondered why it’s okay for student groups to lead prayers but illegal for principals or teachers to do so? Do you wonder if there are any limits on when, where, and how the police can search for your phone, locker, car or person? The main answer to all those questions is the study of government.
Government is one of the most fundamental practices in the world. What we do, say, or even feel can impact the government and vice versa. The entire point of a government is for people to set up rules, laws and institutions so that they can function together and become a society and community. At the base of the government is the youth.
“Without the youth getting involved in local government, the community becomes stagnant and does nothing for our future,” Mayor Chris Martin said. “The community just does what they’ve always done and doesn’t keep up with the changes in the world today. The youth gives us, as local leaders, an opportunity to keep up with the times in understanding what the youth wants and needs to see in the community. That’s why we’re breaking ground on the disc golf course next year. The Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council did that.”
There are many ways youth can get involved. There are clubs like the LHS Democrats and Leftists, the Young Republicans Club, and the Forums Club. These offer a wide range of choices and windows of opportunity. The Young Republicans Club offers a wide range of activities. They are planning to have a bonfire and help campaign for Republican candidates.
“This weekend, the LHS Democrats and Leftist Club will be helping the citizens of Cass County register to vote and delivering election information door-to-door,” advisor of LHS Democrats Tucker McCord said. “The Forums Club has also become a fantastic place for students with strong wills and even stronger opinions to discuss hot topic issues, so there is a lot of crossover with political clubs here in LHS.”
Senior Casen Lake has been inspired by politics ever since 5th grade.
“In the 2016 election, I started watching news and became really interested in politics, “Lake said. “So, I started looking into it and eventually found out in eighth grade that the high school had a Republican Club and thought it would be a great way to get involved. So, I reached out to the president Nick Yax, and he was really nice about it. I decided to show up to the first meeting. “
Lake learned lessons from Yax.
“I learned the values of the party, and the goal to get youth involved made me want to join essentially,” Lake said. “So, I did that and slowly went to events and met people and realized the party and club aligned with my values. So, I’ve been a member ever since and took over to make sure it continued after Nick left.”
There are many opportunities outside of school that also allow you to get involved in politics.
“Our office has the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Council, and Logansport Savings Bank has a leadership group,” Chris Martin said. “There are many non-profit organizations you can join as well. Just being engaged with your community is going to help us seek the changes we need and want to see.”
In the end, there are many ways students can get involved in politics, from school to your community. Whether you like it or not, politics is everywhere, and you may not be involved in it, but it involves you. It’s our job to guide the path of our representatives to see the change we as people wanna see.
