HURRICANE -- It's a safe bet that when this group gets together, they talk politics. They are members of the Teen Age Republican Club or "TARS" for short, and this political season discussions can get intense.

"It's helped me step back, and really think about it. It helps me kind of identify myself from whether its a philosophical point of view or purely political, and like I said I hope it does it to others too," says Michael Cook, a member of the Republican Club.

The club has won eight national awards as they stress political involvement at a young age. "You can get out and vote when you're 18, and you'll decide who's going to be president or a senator, and you're vote counts just as much as one who's 45 years old," says Aaron Kidd, Republican Club Co-Chair.

The Republican Club boasts 80 members, but not to be outdone, the Democratic Party is also alive and well here at Hurricane High School.

"I'm going to register as a Democrat," said Taylor Green, a junior at Hurricane High School. He admits he may not see eye to eye with some of his friends, so they agree to disagree.

"Even as you grow older you'll be sitting with your friends, whenever the debates are going on and everything you'll still argue about it. It really doesn't effect the friendship I don't think," says Green.

What it does do is teach other viewpoints, showing the importance of being informed and involves in the political process.

The Teen Age Republican Club was founded in 1999 by current West Virginia House Delegate Troy Andes.