The Fearsome Foursome by Kirsten Dungan,

This year’s election is sure to be difficult. All four candidates, unique in their own ways, are exactly what yig needs. The only question now, is who will go above and beyond to make next year the best it can possibly be?
Bradley DiMariano:
Bradley DiMariano participates in many activities which he believes strengthen him as a candidate. Through the school’s NHS program, (National Honors Society), he volunteers for many community service projects. He is also on the Mayor’s youth advisory committee for his town of O’Fallon, and regularly attends town hall meetings. Brad states, “I am friendly, I communicate well with others, and I promote a great atmosphere. I want everyone to have a good time, and maybe bring their friends back next year.” Bradley focuses on a few main issues; crime, education, energy, health and welfare. He wants to create programs to reduce crime rate and drug usage, raise the value of education, use cleaner and more resourceful energy, and give health care and jobs to those who need it. His prime focus is the economy, due to the fact that is faltering drastically.

Pat Powers:
Pat Powers chose to run for governor after working on the governor’s staff. He feels that working with the current governor has given him the experience he needs to run on his own. He feels he is the obvious choice for governor because he is loyal, trustworthy, and friendly. He is also very involved with the city of O’Fallon and his church. If Pat gets elected he wants to strengthen the CLI program to include the eighth graders within the actual high school branches of government instead of their own small group. Pat’s main issues are public safety, education, and the environment.
Weston Hitchcock:
Weston Hitchcock is very involved in his school’s debate team and enjoys playing football and being outdoors. He believes he is the strongest candidate because he communicates and relates well with others. When asked why he chose to run for governor, Weston Hitchcock responded, “I believe that I have ability to lead this program. I love leadership and government. I am prepared to execute the
governor’s duties.” Weston has many plans for YIG next year. He would like to make the experience as enjoyable as possible, and he wants to emphasize and achieve the primary goal of YIG; teaching the principles of democracy.
Alan Hatfield:
Alan Hatfield has always been involved in politics. Alan feels he is a great candidate because he is a natural born leader, very sociable, and loves to meet new people. He would like to become governor to use these skills to help the participants of Youth In Government impact the world around them. Alan wishes to establish a method of communication between all the delegations, and inspire our generation of people to become more involved in our community. When asked what he is most passionate about, he stated, “foreign policy.” According to Alan, “If you forget the rest of the world, the rest of the world forgets you.”
All four of these candidates are well versed in the ways of the government. It will be difficult for this year’s YIGsters to make the decision of who will be their next governor.