Physically Strenuous

Day four of Boys’ State has proven to be the most important day, politically, thus far. As the “small time” caucus meetings have come to a close, the “big time” elections for Mayor and Lieutenant Mayor have gotten underway. As of tonight, the Mayor and Lieutenant Mayor nominations for the Federalists and the Nationalist have been officially chosen. Tomorrow the two nominees for each party will compete for the two most prestiges Boys’ State offices.
On the physical side of things, today, in my opinion, was the most physically strenuous days. PT has been increased, in terms of intensity. Also, marching critique has become more intense as well, as the parade at the end of the week draws near. It is becoming increasingly critical that our marching is next to perfect and our form remains flawless.
As the day comes to a close, tomorrow looks bright, as all the elections will be complete. The beginning of the actual work associated with one’s job will begin. The time for working is upon us as the week climaxes in three days.


-Joel Santora, 0047

A Boy's Dream

Day 7 Saturday July 2nd
(WHAT A DAY AT BOYS STATE SHOULD BE LIKE)

10:00-11:00 = Reveille, T.V.
11:00-11:30 = Breakfast
11:30-12:00 = Raise Flag
12:00-12:30 = Lunch
12:30-1:30 = Afternoon nap time
1:30-2:00 = Shower and Massage time
2:00-2:30 = Candy consumption time (STUAC Assembly Hall)
Meet in Gymnasium for seminars
2:35-3:00 = Ballet Lessons (Sgt. Santilli)
3:00-3:30 = Bubble Blowing Lessons (Sgt Velazquez)
3:30-3:45 = Break time
3:45-4:30 = Flower frolicking & picking (Sgt. Sturges)
4:30 = Seminars End!!
4:30-5:30 = Free Time
5:30-6:00 = Appetizers
6:00-6:30 = Dinner
6:30-7:30 = Sports/Free Time
7:30-8:00 = Free Time
8:00-8:30 = Video Game Time
8:30-10:00 = Crawl in bed and watch T.V.
10:00-11:00 = Mid-Night Snack
11:00 = Lights Out (Yeah Right!)
Matt Abbey #0027

My Experience Here at Boys' State of New York 2005

by John McKeegan #0574

Well, it’s almost here. The day that we never thought would come has nearly arrived. Against all odds, we have all survived the Boy’s State experience: the Marines, the drills, the early-morning reveilles. The end of this momentous week has created many memories. Personally, my Boy’s State experience has been nothing short of excellent.

Just after arriving on Sunday, I felt resigned to a horrible week of nonstop drilling, P.T., and incredibly boring seminars. Thankfully, I was wrong on all counts. One of the main reasons for this was being selected for the Statesman staff. John Nichols and Brian McDowell, two interviewers and newspaper heads, made an immediate and favorable impression during the press selection.

Throughout the rest of the week, early meals (thanks to the Press badge), 4:00 PM and after-dinner newspaper meetings, and the always excellent nightly political rallies kept my Boy’s State day interesting. The other guys on the Statesman staff also kept my time working with the newspaper interesting, as I got to know people from every corner of the state. Brian and John also kept things fresh with plenty of humor during the meetings mixed with the work ethic that we as Statesman writers were expected to uphold.

Many interesting speakers were heard during our week, including 1980 Boys Stater, L.A. attorney and 2003 Survivor star Andrew Savage, New York State Attorney General Elliot Spitzer, and current U.S. Marine Corps Major Brian W. Neil. All of our speakers reinforced that we were the future of the United States, and that our futures started now, for college was right around the corner.

Twice-daily political assemblies were held in the STUAC Gym, with a culminating point in the Boy’s State political process being the election of a Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, and seven Justices. My press colleagues and I worked very hard to bring news of the various political and sports events taking place at Boy’s State, writing opinion columns on various topics as well.

Although waking up around 5:25 AM every morning remained a major sticking point during the week, once awake, the day went quickly, for there was never a dull moment. The meals were always welcomed, for I was always on the move, not having much other time to eat or otherwise rest. Looking back from the perspective of the last full day of Boy’s State, I can honestly say that while perhaps not a completely life-changing experience, this week has helped teach me the value of government in our country today.

Boys' State Governor Elected

By David Foster, 0083

After blogging and surfing the web yesterday, I attended the Assembly Political Rally at the Student Activities Center. Candidates for statewide political offices were given one last opportunity to give a speech and make an impression on the voters. However, the hall was hot, the fans were noisy, and few people seemed to be listening. The electorate was so inattentive that the presiding officers repeatedly threatened the arrest of noisemakers by campus police.

Nonetheless, voters paid good attention when the two candidates for governor, Federalist Travis Nembhrad and Nationalist Rory Eaton, gave their addresses. Both emphasized the ideals of America and the importance of Democracy. Citizens asked questions, and the race appeared close. It remained close until Rory Eaton sunk his candidacy by providing a condescending answer to a question. Mr. Eaton expressed his disgust at citizens that booed him at the rally, who responded by booing him more.

The assembly ran late and we finally returned to our rooms at about 10:30. After sleep, we ate our breakfast and proceeded to the voting booths. As we waited in line, we voted on Proposition 2 by paper, which would make desecration of the American flag a federal crime. In the booths, we selected candidates and cast our lots for Proposition 1, which would establish random drug testing in schools. My voting booth had a misaligned lever label which I reported after I voted, which probably contributed to more than thirty voters not selecting a Governor.

Election administrators tallied votes while we sat in seminars. The first, second, and third cities each attended separate workshops. Being in a third city, Carpenter in Brieden, I walked with my fellow residents to Hamilton Hall where we met a martial artist. He promoted the Air Force ROTC with inflatable toys that the citizens found amusing.

All counties then reconvened in the Assembly Hall, where last year’s Boys’ State Governor spoke about his experience last year. We sang patriotic songs and then they announced the election results. Nationalists took the positions of Comptroller and Attorney General, and captured four out of seven seats on the Court of Appeals. Federalists did considerably better by electing the Chief Justice, the Lieutenant Governor, and Travis Nembhrad as Governor. Brieden’s Nationalists and Federalists alike cheered Mr. Nembhrad’s victory because he is a native of our county.

After the assembly, we practiced more drills and then ate a delicious lunch of broccoli, fries, and a juicy medium-rare hamburger. The excitement of the day left me tired and I took a nap in the afternoon.

In tomorrow’s entry, I will write about our parade, which is why we do all of this marching.

Politics Loses to Sleep

By David Foster, 0083

After I blogged last evening, the Nationalist and Federalist conventions concluded after nominating their candidates for Governor, Lieutenant Governor, and other positions. Although I was assigned to the Nationalist Party, the Federalist candidate for Governor is from our “county.” While party loyalty is important, I am waiting until speeches tonight at the political rally before I make a decision.

This morning, we held our daily assembly. Unfortunately, Assemblywoman RoAnn Destito could not attend, but we had the chance to listen to the electrifying orator Jeff Schafer. Mr. Schafer is a businessman who also served in the Navy. He talked about the importance of setting and achieving goals, framing his speech with the historical battle between Alexander the Great and Darius III, the King of Persia.

In the meantime, campaigning for Governor has begun in earnest. Federalist Candidate Travis Nembhrad met with his fellow members of my county of Brieden to develop a political strategy. Mr. Nembhrad’s campaign manager asked for our help in creating promotional signs and posters, and suggested that we spread the word about his candidate. Being undecided and torn between partisan and regional loyalties, I chose not to help and recharged with a nap instead.

When I woke up, I walked down to the lobby, where other dormitory residents were watching MadTV. There were some hilarious skits! But that has nothing to do with Boys’ State. After about forty-five minutes, I left for our 4:00 PM press meeting and went to dinner with the press staff. Today’s evening meal was the delicious combination of roast beef, mashed potatoes and beef gravy, ice cream, and a roll.

In tomorrow’s entry, I will discuss this evening’s Assembly Political Rally and tomorrow’s ballots for statewide offices.

Politics at Boys' State

By David Foster, 0083

Since my last entry, I have experienced more than my fair share of Boys’ State activities and events. Yesterday evening I attended Session One of the Nationalist State Party Convention and we began selecting candidates for the upcoming program-wide election of officers. Each county had already selected its candidates for the nomination, so we quickly started off discussing the offices and contenders. We first selected a permanent party chairman, and then moved to positions such as secretary and clerk. The gymnasium was hot and we alternated between having no air circulation and not being able to hear because of loud fans.

The Convention ran to its adjournment time at 10:00 PM and I returned to my room. I was exhausted, so I felt great relief when I realized I could close my room door to block out the light. I slept comfortably for the next six hours, until I received a relatively polite awakening this morning. Our counselor knocked on the doors to awaken us and we walked outside to complete our first day of Physical Training (we did not do PT yesterday because of flag raising duty). The exercises included ten push-ups, stretching, and a ten-minute run. We then ate breakfast, where they served excellent hash browns, and proceeded to the stuffy assembly hall for our daily session.

Our first speaker was Dave Valesky, who is a Democratic State Senator from Syracuse. Mr. Valesky was part of the four-seat gain that Democrats made in the State Senate in 2004. He had a little outside help from a Republican, however. Mr. Valesky won with 45% of the vote, while incumbent Rebublican Nancy Larraine Hoffman netted 44% and a Republican running as an Independent split the vote by taking away 11%.

Mr. Valesky discussed the challenges of state government and the tradition of concentration of power in New York State. More specifically, he spoke of how the Majority Leader in the Senate, the Speaker of the Assembly, and the Governor meet in a closed room to hammer out the budget. He added that a better system involves committee input in which each member plays a role in the process.

Our second speaker was Ron Tocci, a Legionnaire spoke against flag burning and desecration. He also discussed the movement to pass a flag burning amendment. It would override the 1989 Supreme Court Decision Texas v. Johnson, which declared unconstitutional the Flag Protection Act of 1989.

We left the session to practice drills and eat lunch. Afterward, the County convened to complete its selection of candidates to present at Sessions Two and Three of the Nationalist Convention. The entire party reconvened that afternoon at 1:30, where we nominated candidates for offices such as Court of Appeals Justice, Comptroller, and Attorney General. County Party Chairmen were making deals in which they would promise reciprocated voting. For example, if two counties each had a candidate for different offices, they would agree to vote for one another’s respective candidate to increase each County’s electoral chances. After two hours of this voting and negotiation, the session concluded and I left to participate in one of the many sports that Boys’ State offers here at Morrisville.

I reported to the tennis courts with my racket and played a vigorous match with a fellow citizen. Although I lost handedly, I welcomed some fun physical activity for a change. I returned to the cafeteria for dinner. Remarkably, our meals provide an occasional treat: today’s evening ration contained one of the best potatoes I have ever eaten.

In tomorrow’s entry: the dramatic conclusion to the Nationalist Convention, where the party nominates its candidates for Lieutenant Governor and Governor.

I'm Still Alive!

By David Foster, 0083

Another day done here at Boys’ State. After I last blogged, I returned late to the dormitory after getting lost, and needed a student to let me into the building. When I arrived I found everyone soundly asleep in their beds. I checked in with my counselor, put on shorts and a t-shirt, and drifted off to sleep.

So I wish. My first night sleeping here did not actually involve much sleeping. The mattress was not uncomfortable itself, rather the scorching heat and lack of more pillows.

After tossing and turning throughout the night, I finally began to drift off, until I was startled by what sounded like a bucket being thrown down the hall. I quickly made my rack as prescribed, put on my second Boys’ State Shirt, and left the hall with the rest of the County for the raising of the colors. Then, we performed some marching maneuvers and went to breakfast.

Luckily, this meeting was more of a treat than breakfast. The American Legion had lined up Eliot Spitzer, Attorney General and Gubernatorial Candidate for New York State. He is best known for his aggressive pursuit of dishonest Wall Street Brokers. Mr. Spitzer talked about the importance of honor and ethics, which is sorely needed in today’s government (Tom DeLay, anyone?). He also mentioned an interesting fact that I did not know before: when Mr. Spitzer was in high school, he played tennis against John McEnroe. When question time came, some Citizens fielded softball questions about their adoration of Mr. Spitzer. However, as a whole, our Boys’ State Citizens addressed important state issues such as the economic depression and the Native American casino case.

After exercising our cerebra with politics, we were now treated to a less governmental person, Andrew Savage. This former Survivor contestant talked about his experiences on the show, including the audition, alliances, and truth. Remarkably, Mr. Savage said that he never told a lie while fighting for the million dollar prize. Underscoring Mr. Spitzer’s message, his speech also focused on the importance of honesty.

After the assembly, I marched to lunch, took a nap, and then came to the computer lab to write. More importantly, I will be attending the Nationalists’ State Party Convention tonight. Therefore, I shall write about the politics and “parties” of Boys’ State tomorrow and discuss its role in teaching about government.

Boys' State Day 2

While the rooster was enjoying another hour of beauty sleep, we citizens were up at 5:30 A.M. Physical Training (PT) begins at approximately 6:00 A.M. A few push-ups and a mile later, came the big city and county caucus meetings for the week here at Boys' State. Elections ranged from selecting a county mayor to choosing our city and county police.
The city caucus is one of the most important focal points in all of Boy’s State. Government involvement in Boy’s State is an all too overlooked activity. Though most of the details heard about Boys' State are based mainly on rigorous drilling and exercise, delegate’s involvement in Boys' State government is where, for the most part, the learning is done. Many hours in the Boys' State day are dedicated to simulated-county and city government jobs. In brief, county and city involvement has a lot to do with politics and hard educational work.
Day 2 in Boys' State, a far busier day than that of the day we first arrived, is officially a wrap! After today, all county employment will officially be in motion and jobs will be in full swing. In a way Boys' State 2005 has just begun!

-Joel Santora, 0047

My First Day

Met by the overzealous, but appreciated, welcomes and the echoes of a deep resounding “Yes Sir!”, I arrived here a Boys State. Luckily I was able to find my room and turn in the paperwork with minimal stress and no casualties. Life here at Boys State has been surprisingly good so far. Though the stories from home left me weary after leaving the bus, the life here has been contrary to the popular opinion back home. The only problem, or inconvenience, I have incurred is the culture shock. The hours of the days have made the biggest impact on me. When thinking about the hours of my days back home in comparison to the hours of my days here, a fitting analogy came to mind. If you simply put yourself in the shoes of a fly on the highway that has just been crushed by a speeding semi-truck, the semi-truck being Boys State, you will have an appropriately revolted attitude towards the culture shock given from Boys State.
After my first day here at Boys State I have developed a tenative impression of the Marines that run my day here. I think the impression that one develops from the Marines is dependant upon the lifestyle that one has lead before their stay at Boys State. For me, my impression has been fairly bright. I think the respect that the Marines demand is a great thing for the youth of today. As much as that opinion sounds parentally induced, I truly believe that respect is a key part of an active American citizen.
Overall Boys State has been good fun and occasional hard work. I am optimistic about my next few days here at Boys State. I am confident that fond long lasting memories will be built and that my days will continue to be bright.

Welcome to American Legion Boys' State 2005

By David Foster, 0088

I heard horror stories about Boys’ State before I came. The day before I departed for SUNY Morrisville, I was at a graduation party and talked with a citizen from last year. From what I heard, the whole experience sounded like some demented government camp where questions had no correct answer that would prevent push-ups. He even said that he got split up from the rest of his group, being forced to endure a more difficult Marine than that of the other three.

I now wonder if it was my fortune or unluckiness that allowed me to attend this program. So far everything has been going well, however. I first arrived after a short ride from my home in southern Herkimer County. The Legionnaires quickly resolved my lack of a citizen card and I received my dormitory assignment. Our first experience with discipline came later, when our Marine took us outside and showed us how properly to make our beds, or “racks” as they are called here.

We then received time to make our racks and clean our rooms. I think I went a little overboard, ensuring that my bed was made impeccably and even removing small pieces of dust from the floor. To my surprise, our Marine briefly looked into our rooms and made informative, helpful remarks.

The marching wasn’t so bad—our learning is constructive and we stay hydrated constantly. Even the lunch was delicious. Although a piece of turkey with gravy and mashed potatoes thrown on it might not sound good to you, it was very satisfying after only eating ravioli for breakfast. Then I found this job.

Another piece of advice I received from the past year citizen was that I should write to keep my sanity. Maybe this weblog will stop me from going insane? What I’ve learned so far suggests that I won’t need crazy prevention. The entire premise of the week here is to organize mock political parties and work your way up a fake governmental hierarchy. Reading that sentence sounds boring, but for a political nut like me it is pure joy. In fact, Eliot Spitzer is coming tomorrow. I can’t wait.

To introduce myself with more detail, my name is David Foster. I am living in an apartment in Herkimer County until we construct a house. I have wanted to be a number of different things since I was a boy, including physicist, doctor, real estate developer, and the choice I finally settled on, lawyer. About five years ago, my doctor asked me, “Why don’t you want to be a doctor instead?” My response: “I don’t like to help people.” It was a poor choice of words but it makes for a funny story.

But enough about me. In my coming reports, I will elaborate on my experiences here at Boys’ State.