Nominations for Texas Boys State and Texas Bluebonnet Girls State are due today, to be submitted by teachers outlining potential junior participants. Unlike previous years, students are actively encouraged to ask questions of their teachers if interested in participating in this event, to be held in June over several days.
“In the past few years, we’ve been getting more and more student nominations for students who really don’t have any interest in attending,” District Secondary Librarian Shelly Myers said. “We’ve also had students and parents express concerns that they didn’t know anything about the nomination process or the opportunity.”
Staff members are permitted up to five student nominations each, which will then be tallied Jan. 16–19, after which the top three to six nominees and alternates will be presented to LHS principals for approval.
“It was a great opportunity getting to participate in Boys State last year,” senior Jaxon Pratus said. “We had a ton of fun and learned a lot about debates, government and leadership skills in general. I think anyone who’s got any interest in that kind of thing should at least try it out if they can. Worst case, they still get to have some fun for a few days.”
Both Boys State and Girls State revolve largely around providing students a “better understanding of how to build consensus through civil discourse and debate… [as well as] knowledge of the two party political system and [methods of] putting that knowledge into action,” as stated by the Texas Boys State website. Participating students are expected to provide their own transportation, though a more thorough discussion of plans and events is to be held with each accepted nominee February through March.
“I believe this [new proposal] is a much better approach,” U.S. History, government and economics teacher Danelle Ecker said. “The students have to take the initiative. I always tell [them] to go in with an open mind.”
As a shift from the way these nominations have been handled in the past, there are hopes that this new approach will allow interested students to become part of the process earlier and more actively than before.
“We’re hoping [that] with this new procedure, the students who may often be overlooked but are truly interested in attending will get the votes needed for nominations,” Myers said. “Talk to your teachers and parents; Google Texas Boys State or Texas Bluebonnet Girls State; and, if interested, talk to your teachers and ask for those nominations.”
Myers also stressed that there is more to the events than debate and leadership training.
“I would like to emphasize that attending alone is worth the time,” she said. “I personally would have never been brave enough to run for office, but I could certainly use my skills to work behind the scenes and campaign for those that are running. There’s a place for everyone at these State camps—not just our future politicians. Everyone who attends and is an active participant, no matter the role, will learn so much, and gain so many lifelong friends, and even create future career networking relationships.”
