Politics: the monotonous voices that your dad listens to on the radio in the morning, the skits on Saturday Night Live that you always fast forward through, and the epitome of B-O-R-I-N-G.

Or at least that’s what you thought politics were.

Junior Statesmen of America, a nationwide student-run organization, seeks to redefine the relationship between young people and politics. Focused on defeating political apathy, on producing eloquent and worldly young leaders, and on making politics interesting, engaging, and even fun, JSA is an organization that can appeal to literally any student.

JSA may seem intimidating at first, since many students don’t know a lot about current events and politics. Fortunately, education and outreach are both integral aspects of any well functioning JSA chapter. Students can expect to learn at meetings, and be inspired to learn outside of meetings. This being said, JSA learning is not the same as school learning. JSA members learn through action, debate, and experience, and each lesson learned is relevant to the lives of each and every member. Students aren’t learning about a useless math formula; rather, students are learning about issues that are happening right outside there door, and that they have the power to influence.

Being an informed citizen is your civic duty. Seniors and juniors will be able to vote in the next election, and without a firm understanding of the issues facing our country and the people who intend to change them, young people eligible to vote will either not vote– or perhaps even worse– make an uninformed choice.

Luckily for Liberty students, our very own chapter of JSA has recently been instituted. Liberty students are now free to debate, discuss, and learn about current events and politics right inside school doors. No other club at Liberty provides members gavels with which they may slam each time they want to interrupt their debate opponent. No other club watches SNL (yes, the political skits that you usually skip… They are really funny once you actually get them!) during club hours. And, arguably, no other club is as relevant and important.

So next time you are free on a Tuesday afternoon–or perhaps you are getting an itch to change the world– come to JSA*. You won’t regret it.