Ms. Sjostrom goes to Helena

If Malta High School junior Joanie Sjostrom has her way, one day she will be the President of the United State. Until that time, though, Sjostrom relishes her recent foray into politics.

On Monday, January 16, Sjostrom found herself in Helena, Mont. - the State Capitol - where she would spend the week working for Sen. Mike Lang, a fellow Malta native, as he entered his first round in the Montana Senate after a long career in the state House.

"Senator Lang asked me if I wanted to work as his page," said Sjostrom. "At first I wasn't too sure about it."

Sjostrom said Marley and Troy Manoukian, close friends of hers, had both worked as Sen. Lang's pages while he was the Montana House District 33 representative so she somewhat knew what the job duties would be before she decided to accept Sen. Lang's invitation. Sjostrom finally decided to accept the position and, looking back, she is happy she did.

"I loved it," she said. "I loved everything about it. The debates, the floor sessions, getting to talk to the senators and just seeing all the activity going on. I loved it."

Sen. Lang said at one point during Sjostrom's work, at a meeting with the senators and pages, a question and answer period was held. During the session, Sjostrom was addressed by a senator on a question concerning a potential cancer-causing issue and a law which would restrict a person from partaking in the potential cancer causing issue?

"She acknowledged and agreed that it could cause cancer," Sen. Lang said, "but that it is a personal decision to partake or not. She stated that people must be responsible for the results of their actions and therefore a law was not needed. The Senator was impressed with her decision, as was I."

Sjostrom said that her five day work week included checking messages on the phone and email for Sen. Lang, running errands for anyone who needed them and, generally, 'running all over the Capitol.'

Sjostrom will be off to college in a little over a year and a half and said she is leaning toward focusing on political science (and, perhaps, journalism) and hopes to attend Gonzaga University or Montana State University. She said if she does choose to go into political science that she would hope to work with the Republican Party or perhaps run for office.

Sjostrom said that she would go back and work for Sen. Lang in a snap and has also talked to Montana HD Rep. Casey Knudsen – also from Malta -- when she was in Helena and he said he would gladly have her work with him as a page in the House. If Rep. Knudsen ever needed to know what to expect from Sjostrom as a page, he need only ask Sen. Lang.

"Joanie is a very informed young adult," Sen. Lang said. "She was very attentive and proceeded to become involved with the process. She was very interested in the legislative format surrounding her. I felt she was the leader of the pages she served with in the 65th Montana Legislature."

Sjostrom said she hopes to join Rep. Knudsen in Helena next April. As for the Montana Senate, Sjostrom said that the experience was a little more laid back than she had anticipated and her personal highlight was the floor session.

"The debate they would have when they would vote on the bills was very interesting," she said.

Sjostrom is not eligible to run for the U.S. President for almost the next 20 years, but when asked if she would be this country's leader when the time comes, she was enthusiastic.

"I hope so," she said.

Sjostrom also thanked Sen. Lang for the opportunity and promised to report back to the PCN once her stint with Rep. Knudsen comes to a close to do a follow-up story.