West Branch Times, IA
07-03-07
Students learn about government at Boys and Girls State
by Tyler O’Neil
How government works can be difficult to understand. However, five West
Branch teens were given opportunities last month to increase their
understandings of governmental affairs by setting up their very own state.
Jake Kabela, Brian Lumpa, J.J. Wombacher and Ryan Skriver, all 17, attended
the 2007 Iowa American Legion Boys State at Fort Dodge from June 10-17.
Abbie Baker, 17, attended the 2007 Iowa American Legion Auxiliary Girls State
on the Iowa State University campus in Ames from June 17-22. These high
school students joined hundreds of others from around the state at their
respective programs.
“It was a lot more fun then I thought it would be,” said Lumpa. “Boys State was
also very informative about the inner workings of the government.”
Both Boys State and Girls State focus on informing high school students about
the importance of citizenship and how the government works by setting up a
mock state for the teens to govern. The same levels of government which are
present in Iowa are also simulated in these mock states, starting at city level and
moving all the way up to the state legislature. Each state’s citizens, the high
school students in the program, make all the laws and procedures that effect how
the state operates.
“They get to live the process for a week,” said Janet Kline of the local American
Legion Auxiliary.
“It was very hands on, no lectures, which I really liked,” said Lumpa.
Participants are chosen from high schools around the state by their local
American Legion or American Legion Auxiliary. School faculty suggest
representatives for the programs and candidates are then evaluated on their
current civic activity, community service and interest in government or politics.
The selection process usually starts in January.
“You want to give the kids an experience that will open their eyes to
government,” said Wayne Frauenholtz of American Legion Chauncey Butler Post
514.
Although Boys State and Girls State are very similar, there are differences in
procedures for each of the programs and also on a personal level. Each
participant is given an opportunity to run for one of dozens of offices, each
requiring a different skills set and political ability.
“Each person can choose how active or inactive they are,” said Kline.
“I knew nothing about how much work it took to run for office,” said Kabela, who
served as his city’s mayor and county treasurer. “It is a rough-tough job. There is
a lot more to getting elected than I thought.”
The programs also differ in some of the paths students can choose during the
week. Boys State offers a highway patrol program in which students spend the
week learning about the duties of a highway patrolman. Lumpa participated in
that part of the program. He said that at one point he was exposed to tear gas
and it was “pretty cool.”
Girls State has a student-run newspaper to which Baker contributed.
“There were three nights when I stayed up until midnight working on the paper
with the other girls just trying to get it ready for the next day,” said Baker.
Regardless of personal involvement, all of the Boys and Girls State participants
agreed that the experience was worthwhile and that they gained a lot from the
programs.
“I was interested with politics but this really sparked my interest with politics, not
only at a state level but also at the local level,” said Baker.
“It helped me open up,” said Skriver. “I’m pretty shy. Boys State helped me see I
can open up to new people.”