Happy Friday! Hopefully everyone enjoyed their week and are excited about the weekend ahead! We have extended our Constitution Day Fundraiser until October 4th, and you can learn about the fundraiser and donate here. See below for an introduction to our Photojournalism Editor Riley Wheaton ’20 and Lieutenant Governor Alexander Searles ’20.

Photojournalism Editor Riley Wheaton ’20

How long have you been participating in YG? 2 years.

What are you most excited about for the 2019-2020 year? I am excited to help media become more integrated with the YG community and environment!

What is your favorite YG memory? My favorite memory occurred last year when I helped my peers pioneer Photojournalism as a new event at last year’s State Conference.

How has YG impacted you? YG has helped me network and find individuals across the state with similar passions to my own. YG will always hold a special place in my heart as I continue to learn more about our government, culture, and media and grow more as an individual.

What does the U.S. Constitution mean to you? As a media officer, the U.S. Constitution is especially important to me because it protects the freedom of the press in the Bill of Rights under the First Amendment. The amendment allows people to speak their minds and report information without suppression and share their ideas freely.

Lieutenant Governor Alexander Searles ’20

How long have you been participating in YG? 7 years.

What are you most excited about for the 2019-2020 year? I am most excited to be finishing off my YG career with chairing the Senate.

What is your favorite YG memory? My favorite memory in YG is the experience I had at the campfire ceremony at the 2019 CONA.

How has YG impacted you? YG has impacted me by giving me a more diverse view on politics, as well as drastically improving my public speaking skills. The thing that will stick with me the most is the knowledge that every person has a different political view, and that those views should not be used to judge or discriminate against the person.

What does the U.S. Constitution mean to you? The U.S. Constitution means to me that the American people will never need to be in fear of their rights being taken away, and that everyone has certain unalienable rights that should be protected at all costs. The document is important because it represents the struggle of the American people to strive toward that goal of true equality of all people, and to be the world’s fighting force for peace and democracy.