By Abigail Harrison

E x c i te m en t i s

building, people are scur-

rying about, the energy

level is high. What could be

happening? It’s the begin-

ning of YIG! Jan. 5, 2012,

marks the beginning of the

Minneapolis branch of YIG

(Youth In Government). The

conference was kicked off

at 3:30 p.m. Jan. 5, with an

opening joint convention

where the Youth Lt. Gov.

Esther Susag gave her state

address identifying her

platform for this session. The

ceremony also included the

swearing in of government

members.

The atmosphere is

exciting and positive. “The

most exciting part for us is lis-

tening to and debating bills,”

agreed three members of the

Sibley Senate. Many of the

convention members are pas-

sionate about bills that they

have written and will be pro-

posing in the next four days.

“I’m an athlete. They told us to

focus on something we are

passionate about, so… that’s

what I chose.” Said Charlie, a

member of Humphrey house in

regards to his bill on

banning the use of

creatine. (Creatine is a type of

steroid).

Many members be-

lieve that this experience will

have a profound impact on

there future. Zac S, of Hum-

phrey house, said “I think this

experience will help me under-

stand government better, and

be an educated part of it.”

Other members also believe

that YIG will help them to be

informed and active partici-

pants in government matters

when they grow up. This unique

experience is a wonderful op-

portunity not only for the stu-

dents who get to participate in

it, but also for everyone living

in Minnesota, and even the U.S.

The Start

What to Do on Friday Night? By Alicja Jader

Youth in Government is not only about working – there is time for fun, too. And it

starts at 7:30 p.m. Friday with many attractions – YIG-Festival, Karaoke Club, two Movie

Theatres and Hospitality Suite & Games to choose from. But the star attraction of the night, as

most of the experienced students agree, is the YIG Talent Show, starting at 9 pm.

YIG Festival is a new thing, but many people claim it is just like a carnival. If you are a fan of

this kind of entertainment and do not mind the intensive sweet smell of cotton candy and

popcorn, this is definitely the place to go. Similar enjoyment can be found in The Hospitality

Suite & Games, where card and board games can be played.

“Karaoke is a lot of fun. It is like a precursor to Governor’s Ball – lots of singing and dancing”

– said Kiran, third time in YIG. That is also what a lot of new people are looking forward to –

so if you go there, you can expect a crowd, as was the case in the past years.

The Movie Theatres this year offer four movies – “Mr. Popper’s Penguins.” “Pirates of the

Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,” “The Fat Boy Chronicles” and “Harry Potter and the Deathly

Hallows.” However, it has not been decided yet which ones will be played on Friday and

which ones on Saturday.

What everybody is waiting for is Fantastic YIG Talent Show. “Awesome,” “super funny” – are

just two of the many adjectives delegates used to describe the acts, comprising singing,

dancing, stand-up comedians and poetry declamation. There are limited seats, so being

early (doors will open at 8:30 p.m.) is recommended.

Running for Office 2

The Bill Book Delay 3

Secrets of Food at YIG 4

The Mystery of Floor 25 5

Polling Results 6

Gossip YIG 6

Secret Tips Revealed 10

Inside this issue:

didn’t want to wander Gavidee at 9

p.m.. on a hunt for two liters of Moun-

tain Dew, so children ages 13-18 fled

to the convenience store. It opened

our eyes and made us realize we had

wings. And even the littlest of birds

can fly.

This store, whose name I still don’t

recall, was beauty. Nobody could

have realized how essential it would

be to Youth in Govern-

ment 2010, and without it,

my roommate wouldn’t

have left half a Poptart on

the floor. Truly, though its name may

be forgotten, its memory still lives on

in our hearts. If legacy was tangible,

the legacy it left behind could build

an empire.

Then the store closed.

Qualifying delegates can run

for State Program Committee Repre-

sentative or to be a Program Area

Elected Official. Refer to the election

rules in the Bill Book to check eligibil-

ity for running. You must turn in a C2

to the SOS office by 6:30 p.m. Jan. 6.

Program Area Candidates can run for

one of the following programs: Chief

Justice of the Supreme Court, Chief

Judge of the Court of Appeals, Chief

Judge of the Trial court, Lobbyist Ex-

ecutive Director, President of Knutson

Senate, President of Stassen Senate,

President of Ramsey Senate, National

Issues Forum Presiding Officer,

Speaker of Sanford House, Speaker of

Humphrey House, Speaker of Sibley

House, Newspaper Editor-in-Chief,

Radio Station General Manager, TV

Station General Manager, and Chief

Information Officer.

Running for the Constitutional Offices

are the following:

Governor and Lieutenant Governor:

Elia Read and Emma Schroer; Max Fite

and Emma Reese; Rishabh Mishra and

Kristen Anderson; Taylor Burr and

Taylor Smith; Sarah Dorey and

Melanie Diebel; David Liu and Shan-

non Dietz.

Attorney General: Jacqueline Geerdes, Sola

Olateju, Summer Stewart.

Secretary of State: Sylvia Reilly, Erika Batiz,

Peter Dudziak, Revee Needham.

If you would like more information about

this topic, or to schedule an interview with

Ben Engler, please reach Talia Zadeh at 612

-719-1303 or talia.zadeh@gmail.com.

Ode to a Convenience Store

Running For Office: URGENT

By Jack Jensen, Jack Fitzgerald, and Eric

Peixoto

In everyone’s life, there is one

moment where you experience true

greatness. For some, that moment is

short, fleeting. For others, though, that

moment is their entire lifetime. One

such person was

the convenience

store that once

stood between the

Hilton and the Sky-

way.

The products sold at this store were but

a mere metaphor for the struggles of

life, and how they must be overcome:

the store, whose name was lost ages

ago, was not very popular. Obviously it

wasn’t; it closed down two years ago,

but the best things in life begin un-

known. Once Youth in Government

2010 came around, we assume it had a

lot of customers, because, well, there

are a lot of kids who want pop. People

flee to where they feel safe: people

WATCH

YIG TV ON

CHANNEL 18

“I went in for some soda, but I

didn’t realize that I’d leave

with pure bliss in my heart.”

By Leeann Donovan

Weeks before YIG typically

begins, Bill Books are passed out to

delegates to look over, highlight, and

prepare for their four-day schedules.

When the Bill Books aren’t passed out

until the beginning of the first day of

Model Assembly, problems are

caused for delegates and directors

alike. Many in the Fridley delegation

directed their questions to Mr. Holt,

the Fridley delegate director. Before

leaving for the hotel, he stated that the

missing Bill Books were a result of

issues with the online submission

form. While understandable, the prob-

lem caused chaos at the beginning of

the first day of Model Assembly with

delegates scrambling to adjust to their

rooms and figuring out where they

were supposed to be. The result of this

was delegates showing up late to their

program areas and missing the impor-

tant information given on the first day

of YIG. When asked about the Bill

Books, Fridley delegate Abby Alvarez

said, “I like to spend the week before

looking through the Bill Book and

looking over my schedule. When I got

to YIG, I didn’t

know where I

was supposed

to go.” Alva-

rez stated that

she was late to

her briefing because of this, and

missed vital information about her

duties in Model Assembly. Two of my

roommates were also affected by this

– one being late for her meeting, and

the other just barely making it to the

buses to leave for the Capitol. This

brings up a question that all who’ve

ever had trouble submitting their YIG

information have come across: Should

the online submission be replaced

with an easier substitute? Could we

rely on another medium for organizing

and printing our vital information? Many

delegates have expressed frustrations

with the form – whether they have for-

matting issues, issues with sending their

work, or just problems with organizing

the many places

they’re expected

to send their work.

This is sure to be

an issue discussed

by the leaders of

YIG for next year, and in the years to

come.

Ever wonder what is happening outside of YIG?

By Zach Face

The NFL Wild Card Playoffs are

taking place on Saturday and Sunday. On

Saturday at 3:30 p.m. (Minnesota time) on

Channel 11 (NBC), the AFC will begin the

NFL playoffs and the matchup will be be-

tween the Cincinnati Bengals at the Hous-

ton Texans. After that matchup, at 7 p.m.

(Minnesota time) also on Channel 11

(NBC), the NFC will feature Calvin John-

son a.k.a. Megatron and the Detroit Lions

at the New Orleans Saints and Drew

Brees, now the official new passing re-

cord holder for a single season with 5,476

yards. On Sunday, the action starts again

at noon (Minnesota time) on Channel 9

(FOX), with a NFC showdown between

one of the best balanced offenses in the

NFL, the Atlanta Falcons at the New York

Giants, a tough, hard-nosed, great de-

fense. Also, at 3:30 p.m. (Minnesota time)

on Channel 4 (CBS), Tim Tebow will try to

lead his Denver Broncos over Big Ben and

the Steeler’s D to try and bring back what

the owner of the Broncos (John Elway)

once had for this famous organization.

The Bill Book Delay

“Alvarez stated that she was late to her

briefing because of this, and missed vital

information about her duties in Model As-

sembly.”

By Alexis Ryan

No matter if

you’re at the Capitol,

Hamline University, or at

the hotel, you always

seem to be busy with

something. So making

sure you eat something

might take a back burner.

W h i l e

you’re at

the hotel

you have

the sky-

ways to

use to

help you

get to your food, at the

Capitol and at Hamline

you are taken to a street

full of fast food restau-

rants. In the hotel, you are

allowed to go and get your

food in the skyways but

the problem is you might

not have enough time to

go order your food, eat

your food, then get back

in time. That’s why some

people just skip lunch and

make dinner when you are

back in your room. You

might then wonder how

you make food in a hotel

room. Some people were

willing to tell their trade

secrets. “This year we are

making Quesadillas in our

room. It’s easy, all you

have to do is 1.make sure

you have all the ingredi-

ents (tortilla shells,

cheese, etc.) 2. Make sure

you wash your iron be-

cause you never know

what might have been

ironed before you used it.

3. Put your quesadillas

together 4. You iron it till

it’s perfect,” said Molly H.

from St. Paul Northwest.

It’s the same way on how

to make grilled cheese and pop tarts.

“Just make sure you have a paper towel

or parchment paper on top of your food

if you need it because you won’t want to

burn it. Just don’t use wax paper be-

cause it might melt,“ said Sarah S. from

St. Paul Northwest. There are a lot of

tools you can use in your room that you

never thought you could. You have an

ice bucket, a coffee pot and a sink or

bathtub. Your ice

bucket could be used

as a bowl and you can

use your coffee pot to

make hot water or

something else. “My

roommate had to

teach me how to use a

coffee pot for the first time; it was the

day we made Ramen noodles. We got

hot water from the coffee pot and put the

noodles in the ice bucket, and then we

filled the sink up with hot water and let

the noodles sit in hot water until we were

ready to eat them. It was amazing and

didn’t taste different at all!” said Sarah V.

from St. Paul Northwest. You can also

make hot chocolate, oatmeal, and soup

all in your hotel room.

The Secrets of Food at YIG Sleep At YIG

By: Matthew Knudson, Hallie Flanders, & Alexa

Boek

At YIG, it seems to be a big tradition to

either not sleep or sleep very little.Various

people have said their bed times will be some-

where between 1a.m. and just plain not at all. R

-Dog Mishra was asked about his bed time and

he just laughed.

Some people have argued that lack of

sleep at YIG is due to not

having enough time for

an adequate sleep sched-

ule, and that they have

homework.

More people,

however, blame caffeine.

Many people have said it

doesn’t do much to them

anymore, since they’re

probably desensitized to

it.

Mountain Dew,

for instance, can deprive

someone from sleep, can

make you crazy, can “kill

you,” and according to R-Dog, it produces a

lower sperm count. Also, Wyatt Pond added,

“It makes me feel like dancing. It’s all about the

espressos.”

YIG is supposed to be fun, so don’t

stress out over little things like sleep. In an-

other study, it was shown that a small amount of

sleep can feel like a full night. Save caffeine for

the morning.

and studies have shown it can

even improve concentration

levels. It allows you to easily

live in a different country and

allows you to do commerce

between different nations.

Languages such as Spanish

are becoming prominent in

the United States and a prior

knowledge of the language

can help you serve a greater

range of clients or customers

no matter what your field of

employment. One last nega-

tive of this bill is human na-

ture. Many people dislike

sticking to one field of occu-

pation their whole lives, and

not taking a language is something you will regret if you face a path that has closed

to you due to the fact that you speak only one language. We now wait for this, and

many other much more controversial bills to be passed in the next few days. Legis-

lators will strongly defend their topics and others will push back just as forcefully.

Only time will tell the fate of these bills.

By Kiran Sapatnekar and Anika Hodel

We’d heard the rumors.

We’d seen the signs. Each elevator

had two of them, one on each side,

reading, “Floor 25: Key-card access

ONLY.” Yet we had never actually

dared to ride all the way up to the

forbidden floor. Floor 25, as it turns

out, seems to be off-limits for all YIG

students. We discovered this today,

after courageously riding up to the

forbidden floor. We were stopped

during our ascent and joined by a

young business man carrying a ge-

neric suitcase and a bag. As the

elevator zoomed upwards, we

pressed the 25 button. With excite-

ment, we realized our elevator com-

panions were actual guests of floor

25. “Are you going to floor 25?” We

asked, filled with incredulity. “What

happens up there?” The man

gave us a bemused look.

“Nothing special,” he replied.

Our curiosity rose with every

floor, reaching a pinnacle as

the elevator gave a cheerful

ding. We cautiously stepped

out after our companions. The

floor itself isn’t so different

from all the other levels, but

upon stepping off the elevator

a welcome area immediately

greets guests. Its cheerful front

desk is complete with a potted

plant, a bowl of candy

and a receptionist. She

warmly greeted our com-

panions, directing them

to their rooms. This scene

may seem friendly

enough, but after we

talked to said reception-

ist, we learned that ap-

pearances are deceiving. We politely approached

her with a greeting and a request for her to answer

a few quick questions for the newspaper. She

paused, looked around, and told us that we’d

come to the wrong person. “Floors 25 and 24 are

private,” she insisted, “I’m not the right person for

an interview.” We exchanged cautious glance; the

questions we asked had been innocuous. Now we

had a whole new set of questions. What is so spe-

cial about floors 25 and 24? Who were our elevator

companions? Spies, perhaps? These questions

remain unanswered. After all, we were kicked out.

Bill #2105 By Wendy Unger

Bill # 2105 will be

presented by Kenny Alexan-

der of the Ramsey Senate from

Jordan. The bill pushes to rid

the requirement of a student

to have to take two to three

years of a foreign language to

attend most four year col-

lages. There are many jobs

that require no knowledge of

a foreign language to perform

their practice successfully.

Some of these jobs require

different classes that can be

difficult to fit in after core

classes such as math and sci-

ence. Adding a language

other than English makes put-

ting in other classes such as

robotics that much more diffi-

cult. The negatives of this bill

is passed are almost twice as

lengthy. Taking a foreign lan-

guage stimulates the brain

The Mystery of Floor 25

Want to know the secrets,

scandals, and answers of this

years assembly? You've come

to the right place. Gotta ques-

tion? Gotta secret? I have the

a n s w e r . E m a i l m e

(gossipyig@gmail.com) or slip

a note under our door

(Marquette V) with anything on

your mind. And your anony-

mous question/comment could

be featured in any upcoming

newspaper. Spread the word

to fellow delegates! Everything

remains confidential, you

know you can trust me.

Of course, Gossip YIG is

down on the fashion faux pas

as well. Listen up boys and

girls, some things just can't be

worn. Fedoras and fishnets are

a no no. I'll veto the popped

collars and revealing skirts,

too. Keep it classy, YIG.

Lastly, I have a warning for

you lovely delegates. My

sources tell me we have some

loonys running loose this

week. Spotted: A man running

around the hotel… in his un-

derwear. Cover your eyes! (or

not)

Keep the gossip pouring in,

you know you can't get

enough. Topics for the upcom-

ing edition include proper

dance attire, embarrassing

moments so far this year, and

delegation rivalries. Spread

the word and stay tuned!

xoxo,

Gossip YIG.

By Matt Larson

The competition for the next

YIG Governor and Lieutenant Gover-

nor is heating up. With six pairs run-

ning for office, it is starting out to be

one of the fiercest races yet. The early

opinion polls show Read and Schroer

Gossip YIG

Like The No-Armed Robot on Facebook

Missed an Issue of

the Paper?

If so, stop by the Newspaper

Room anytime and pick up a

COLOR-A-NARWHAL

By Molly Hancuh

Officials at Youth in Govern-

ment have secrets of their own to

success at model assembly. Their

climbs to the top rings of the

YIG ladder were no miracles

or strokes of luck. Through

determination, late nights,

lots of campaigning, and

colorful buttons, elected

delegates worked their way

t o t h e i r p o s i t i o n s .

Sola Olateju from St.

Paul NW delegation says,

“you need a cool slogan,

something people will remember.

And buttons, people like colorful

buttons.” Elia Read and Emma

Schroer have taken the button ex-

treme to a new level in their YIG Gov-

ernor and Lieutenant Governor cam-

paign. To step up their attention grab-

bing buttons, a barcode has been

added to the corner

of the button. Scan

the barcode on your

iPhone or Android

phones and instant

find their Facebook

page, which in-

cludes a detailed

description of the

two running mates.

“Apply and

be confident,” said

Sarah Schular and Zaki Sabuwala. Being

fearless about putting your ideas out

there is a great first start to gaining a

higher position in YIG. By going step

by step, you improve your posi-

tions in YIG. Sola told reporters

that the “Go Big or Go Home”

saying doesn’t work in Youth in

Government. Work on your cam-

paign, ideas, and slogans before

you jump into the debates.

Though being called a

someone seeking approval might

not be the best, it might definitely

help your status. Being friends

with higher officials could end up

really helping you in the long run.

“Try to make a point to elective

officials, just tell them to keep you

in mind.” As floor leader of Ram-

sey House, Kate C. clearly under-

stood the advantages of getting

your name out there.

By Jack Jensen

At first, everyone in media that has to go to the Capi-

tol has the same thought: oh, geez, I have to go with the San-

ford and the Knutson and the courts people on their bus and

then I can’t

leave until the

end of the day

and I’m not

gonna get

anything done

and this is just

terrible. But,

fear not! Every

15 minutes or

so, a bus actually runs from the Hilton to the Capitol and

back.

Members of the media and other YIG attendees that

have nothing better to do can find the bus on the first floor of

the building. Simply take the escalator down from the second

floor (the one with the newspaper room and the skyway, oth-

erwise known as the best floor) and take a left, and the bus

stops in front of the door down that hallway. Finally, we can

go to the capitol and back several times a day! Welcome to

the future, everyone.

Crazy Moments at Youth In Government Media Bus

By Abby Dickinson

What’s the craziest thing you have

ever done at Youth in Government? For

many, their favorite moments are also their

craziest activities. Josephine W. has had

some great times with their roommates in the

past. “I can remember a Pop Tart sticking to

the iron and trying to remove

a moldy orange from the

drawer because it was stuck.”

It seems like many people

have fond memories of cook-

ing experiments gone wrong.

Emily G. remembers cooking

a grilled cheese with the iron.

I wonder how that tasted. For

others, it may be an embar-

rassing moment or a time

when you just went crazy. Taylor S. admits

that she fell down the stairs at the Capitol.

Amanda, a leader of the Elk River delega-

tion, cannot remember a specific crazy mo-

ment, but in general the craziest moments

for her are the YIG talent shows. Everyone

has had some great times in the past, but

now it’s time to create some more.

Clandestine Corners of YIG

By Jake Hall

In the average high school

student’s life, four days away from

school and friends can cause them to

miss a lot of changes and events hap-

pening back home. So much can hap-

pen in so little time and stay-

ing connected can become

complicated while partaking

in everyday Youth in Gov-

ernment activities due to the

hectic and busy schedule.

Along with the busy sched-

ule, a new YIG guideline

prevents the use of laptops

in program areas during

program times unless used

specifically for their present

scheduled task, reducing the

availability of popular and

time killing social networking sites.

Phone use is frowned upon in program

areas, creating a barrier between

delegates and their real lives.

One of the most efficient ways that

delegates stay in touch with friends

and family is through constant updates

through social networks.

“I post statuses

through Twitter

throughout the

day,” said Blais-

dell sophomore

Izzie Smith. Oth-

ers use the most

convenient way

of communica-

tion for most

high schoolers.

“I always keep

my phone on

me,” said North-

field sophomore Jack Peters. For many

students, the power of communication

with their peers is kept on a keyboard.

“I didn’t bring mine this year, but I’ll proba-

bly bring my laptop in the future,” said

Northfield sophomore Curran Beithon.

Although many people have great friends in

the YIG program, many students still have

their own ways of keeping in touch with

their hometown friends and family.

Social Secrets

Keeping In Touch

By Asmeret Segai

If you want to be social in Youth In

Government all you need to know are the

basics. First off, you don’t need to be a

social butterfly to spread your wings at

YIG. Finally, just be yourself. Here are

some other helpful hints and tips from your

fellow delegates.

“You can’t be afraid to make a fool

out of yourself,” says Molly H. from St. Paul

NW. Quinn C. and Mariel K. say that,

“being brave

and outgoing

and putting

yourself out

there is defi-

nitely a good

start.” Josie W

- C s a y s ,

“Don’t be

scared, talk to

anybody and

e v e r y b o d y

and offer

food!” Either

way you’ll

have a blast

these four

days meeting

new people

and making

new friends.

ments.

“Oh sweater vests… Yummy!” quoted

one of the ladies. Another in the group

responded with, “YES! Sweater vests.

Just not yellow ones… ick,” and

laughed. So guys, if you’re going for

comfort and a little bit of female atten-

tion, choose the sweater vest to-

morrow morning. On the other

hand, suit coats are nice and warm.

A rowdy group of gentlemen were

asked their preference.

“Suit coats! All professional violin

players wear suit coats.” They are

very classy, warm, and versatile

and make you look like a profes-

sional string player. The two styles

are pretty even in the argument. Some

guys wear both for a classy/comfy

look. If you really want to stand out in

the crowd, throw on a pair of suspend-

ers with a snazzy bow tie.

By Rachel Powell and Amanda

Schoenbauer

Ever wondered how to out-

smart the elevator or master the sky-

way? Returning YIG veterans have all

the answers. We talked with experi-

enced Youth in Government partici-

pants and got the scoop. They re-

vealed all their tips for getting

around YIG, although some were

hesitant to share their precious se-

crets with everyone. You can never

be too careful with the private knowl-

edge you possess from years of ex-

perience.

When it comes to footwear, comfy is

the key. Many girls recommended

carrying around an extra pair. They

also suggested keeping band-aids on

hand in case those blisters get the

best of you. Don’t wear heels up the

stairs; in fact, most girls suggested not

wearing them at all.

It seems the only trick for the skyway

is to become familiar with it as the

years go on. Natalie, an employee,

recommended be-

friending someone

who knows their

way around and

could even bring

the food to you.

Also, if you need

your morning coffee, plan to get up

earlier because the line to Caribou

can be painfully long. A variety of

foods await you at the food court, a

popular location for delegates to eat

any meal. If you don’t feel like braving

the skyways, feel free to order in. The

employees at the Hilton will deliver it

to your room.

Now, the best tips of all. Mastering the

elevator system here seems impossi-

ble, but with a few tricks it won’t be

such a pain. Don’t be shy. You need to

pack into the elevators so everyone

can get to their floor. Some

suggest not taking the elevator

if you’re below the 10th floor;

the stairs will get you to your

destination faster. One of the

best tricks mentioned was

holding the “door close” but-

ton; doing so will skip all other floors

and bring you directly to your desired

floor.

Asking YIG veterans for more of their

personal tips could be very beneficial

to everyone. They’re willing to share

with you and help you have the best

experience here at Youth in Govern-

ment Model Assembly.

Sweater Vests vs. Suit Coats

Secret Tips Revealed

By Rachael Gabrelcik

There is a never

ending battle between sweater vests

and suit coats fighting for

the title of greatest outer-

wear for guys. At Youth in

Government those two

styles seem to be very

popular among the stu-

dent population and even

with the supervisors.

Girls and guys both have

very strong opinions in the duel to the

top. Girls tend to vote for the comfy,

classic sweater vest. While surveying

the public, a group of ladies were

asked which they preferred. The

sweater vest was unanimously chosen,

along with a few supporting com-

“One of the best tricks mentioned

was holding the ‘door close’ button;

doing so will […] bring you directly to

your desired floor.”

HEY!!! TuNE IN TO Channel 17

to listen to YIg radio!

THE YOUTH IN GOVERNMENT

INFORMATION OFFICE

THE YIG WIRE Text MNYIG to

313131

Have Tips? Call Us! Text Us!

Hotline Number: 612-424-0664