Bernie Sanders wants to hear from you. Sander’s bi-monthly e-newsletter – “The Bernie Buzz” – will comprise students’ reflections in a college edition, with articles about the state of the economy and Sander’s vision for job growth, sustainable energy, and measures to combat rising education costs. The Vermont senator has set up a discussion forum on his website hoping to generate feedback from students across the state as they prepare to enter into the working world and navigate the pitfalls of today’s volatile job market, Sanders said. The website polls students on their experiences, providing the opportunity to share stories about how the economy – in its most severe recession since the Great Depression – has affected their lives and what they think Congress should be doing to address the issue. “I think the voices of young people are not heard enough,” Sanders said. “You’ve got a lot of students worried about their future, paying off student loans, [wondering] whether they can live on their own. There are a whole lot of issues and we’d love to enter into the dialogue with all.” “Real” unemployment – that is, the percentage of Americans unemployed or underemployed – is 16.2 percent nationally, according to Sanders’ website. While teen-specific data is harder to collate, unemployment affects young workers even more, Sanders said. During the recession, Vermont has trended below the national unemployment average. Statewide unemployment in August was 5.9 percent, but marked a two-tenths percent increase from figures in July, according to the Vermont Department of Labor website. Compared to other states, Vermont has the sixth lowest unemployment rate, indicating the severity of national unemployment numbers. Asked his impressions of the grassroots “occupy Wall Street” movement, which is gathering momentum across the country and has made its way to Burlington, Sanders said he was impressed with the initiative taken by citizens and thought they deserved credit. He thought that the movement was a positive step in effecting change and was not surprised by its proliferation. “The protestors are calling attention to the greed on Wall Street and incredible amount of economic and political power that a small number of very wealthy people have,” Sanders said. “Calling attention to the fact that the richest people in America are becoming richer and the middle class is collapsing is a very positive