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.