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Boys State Reflection

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When I attended Palmetto Boys State in June of 2017, there was one thing that I was told repeatedly since the first day: “You get out what you put in.” Before I attended, I roughly knew that Boys State was a government simulation program, and I was interested yet still unsure about the program. While it is a government simulation program, Boys State at its core teaches more than government and law. When I decided to follow the advice I was given and put in as much as I could, the week turned out to be one of the most transformative experiences of my life. Santee City, the city I had been placed in, did not have a great start to the week. Our overall spirit was low and we had no sense of connection between city members. I didn’t want to see …show more content…

I met people from many different backgrounds, but the fact that we all suddenly had a common identity meant that we could put our backgrounds aside. I joined the party platforming committee for my assigned political party, the Federalists, and while I enjoyed setting up the positions that our Presidential candidates would have to argue during debates, what was more interesting to see was the general sense of respect. If people within our party had opposing ideas of what we should stand for, the result was not heated arguments and resentment. Given the had little time to achieve our goal, we knew that trying to start disputes simply was not an option. We had to be pragmatic. If I shared opposing views with someone, I didn’t see it as a negative aspect of that person. Instead, we knew that we needed to further our party, so we both saw the conflicting views as an obstacle to be overcome in the name of progress for all of us. Boys State without a doubt gave me faith in the next generation. It was astonishing to see so many kids who had come from so many severe situations such as abuse, broken families, and attempted suicide take up an office within their cities and give their stories and plans for change. I was suddenly thrust into a political community that demonstrated to me the power of the freedom of speech, political efficacy, and

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