Every year, shortly after winter break, about 1,500 students from all around Minnesota flood into the Minneapolis Hilton Hotel and the State Capitol Buildings for the YMCA, Youth In Government (YIG) Model Assembly. These student delegates come together to discuss and debate pressing issues in our country through a mock government set-up over a span of four days.
“Through YIG, a collection of diverse individuals from many backgrounds come together to discuss the pressing issues that our country and state are currently facing,” senior Andrew Kahler said.
This mock government setup is complete with an upper and lower legislation, lobbyists, leadership corps, cabinet, court system, national issues forum and supreme court. All 1,500 students are placed in an area of government of their preference and every student is able to voice their opinion in a positive environment.
This year at Model Assembly, the renovated Capitol buildings opened just days before YIG delegates flooded in. These buildings had been under construction over the last few years and were barely in use before YIG students had the privilege to use them; the Senate and House first convened there only two days before YIG.
“It was really interesting to work in the same place as the MN legislature does,” Kahler said.
Many Orono delegates were in appointed official positions this year and ran for appointed positions for next year’s Model Assembly. Junior Andy Baran was elected to serve as President of the Knutson Senate and Junior Caroline Koehl was elected to serve as Speaker of the Sanford House, meaning Orono delegates will be in charge of the upper legislation. Junior Jane Guidera will become the Steering Committee Chair/SCEO Director, as last year she was elected for the two year position.
“I’m looking forward to being the chair and leading the closing ceremony in front of over 1,300 students, which is pretty cool. But most of all, I’m thankful that YIG has taught me that I should not give up and working hard will always benefit you,” Guidera said.
Model Assembly is not all just work and government related talk, there is also fun nighttime activities. On Friday night, there is a “YIG fest” which consists of several bouncy houses to go in, karaoke, a velcro wall, and cotton candy machines.
“We had so much fun betting on who would win the duals on the blow up bouncy house. It was all in good fun,” Kahler said.
On Saturday night there is laser tag, a photo booth, movie rooms, a craft room and the Governor’s ball dance-which many delegate looks forward to.
Delegates also had the privilege to walk around the skyways in downtown Minneapolis to eat at various restaurants during meal times.
“Walking around in the skyways is cool because you have a lot of different options, there is even a sushi place where you can build your own sushi roll,” junior Paige Gill said.
There are actually several components that make up Youth in Government. There is Model Assembly, Model United Nations, YMCA Youth Conference on National Affairs and retreats and training sessions. Last school year, Orono attended Model United Nations for the first time with huge success.
“Model UN gave me and my peers the ability to use our interest in the world and put that in a practical context. Since my class was the first to ever go from Orono we had challenges in adapting to the difference in the YIG program. We overcame those challenges and soon began to understand the magic that is involved in YIG and in the Model United Nations program,” senior Ben Kaiser said.
Model United Nations this year is March 30-April 1 and Model Assembly is next year on Jan. 4-7, 2018.