Ellis Middle School got political Friday afternoon.

Sen. Dan Sparks, DFL-Austin and Rep. Rich Murray, R-Albert Lea, stopped at Ellis to speak to eighth-graders about government Friday. Sparks and Murray were invited by the Austin Noon Lions as part of Austin’s Liberty Day and as part of Ellis’s annual Freedom Week, when students spend time learning about patriotism, government, and how it relates to their lives.

“It’s a wonderful opportunity to get a chance to visit with these young kids and tell them their voice really does matter,” Sparks said. “We like to get them engaged in government as early as possible.”

Sparks and Murray discussed the basics of state and federal government as well as answer questions the students had. They heard plenty, from students concerned about Minnesota Comprehensive Assessment testing to federal online copyright legislation to unemployment. It seemed as though Sparks and Murray were in a town hall meeting at times, rather than a middle school auditorium.

“This is absolutely the best part of this job,” Murry said. Murray was impressed by how knowledgable the students were on various political issues.

“They were asking questions about things that they already had some good knowledge on, and they wanted to hear our opinion,” he said. “These kids already knew some of the underlying issues that we were discussing here. That’s always good.”

Both elected officials spoke about the rigors of their job, as well as why they chose to be a Democrat or Republican, and answered questions in broad terms for students wondering things like why there were so many MCA tests or who they supported for President of the United States in the upcoming election.

“It was very informative,” Eighth-grader Jake Reinartz said. “It’s nice to have these guys come down and talk to us.”