By Abigail Borgman
Tradition. As defined by Merriam-Webster online dictionary, tradition is “a way of thinking, behaving or doing something that has been used by the people in a particular group, family, society, etc., for a long time.” This feeling of tradition can be felt by those second generation Girls State citizens, delegates whose mothers attended Girls State or whose fathers attended Boys State.
This feeling is best explained by a second generation Girls State citizen herself. Karlie Sines, a floor eight resident of the town of Garfield, is one of the numerous delegates with family attending a Cornhusker Girls or Boys State program in the past.
Sines commented on being a second generation Girls State delegate: “My father Tyson attended Boys State the summer between his junior and senior years of high school. [Attending as a second-generation citizen]... feels incredible to represent my family, and being able to follow in his footsteps within the same program is a very high honor.” Sines also noted that her father had a large influence when she was making her decision to apply to, and later attend, Cornhusker Girls State. “[My father]... always spoke about how much fun he had while attending Boys State, the friends he made and how much he learned about government.” When asked if she would encourage her children to apply to Cornhusker Girls or Boys State, Sines replied enthusiastically. “Absolutely! Hopefully they will make long-lasting friendships, learn about government and be able to practice their leadership skills while still having tons of fun- just like their Momma!”
Many of the 2016 Cornhusker Girls State delegates share this same special experience as second generation citizens. This tradition made the week-long program even more of an honor to those second generation delegates in attendance.
No comments:
Post a Comment