Citizens arose Tuesday morning a little sleepy but excited to take on the day! Voting for state and county primaries was the first event on the agenda followed by a morning session in the Nebraska Union. As citizens entered the ballroom they were greeted with echoes of enthusiastic cheering competitions between the towns despite the early hour.
The hall was filled with many other voices, including lovely singing as the delegates learned the "Girls State Song" and "America, America" with the assistance of the Junior Counselors. The next voice heard was that of Barbara Washburn, Nebraska President of the American Legion Auxiliary. Washburn spoke to the state about the history of the Auxiliary and the commendable service they do for our American veterans. A silence fell over the group during the POW/MIA empty table ceremony. This was led by past presidents of the Nebraska ALA Lynne Wild and Gayla Schmid in remembrance of American soldiers who are not with us. To end the ceremony "Taps" was played by Kenade Tomjack, trumpet player and citizen of Pierce.
Next the delegates took the yearly government exam. Citizens did excellent on the quiz if they were well-versed on current Nebraska politicians and the information in the "Nebraska Blue Book." To end the morning session the results were announced for the state primary results. Once again cheers rang through the ballroom as citizens cheered for the candidates who won their votes.
After a lunch break, delegates returned for the afternoon assembly, which began with the reading of county and nonpartisan primary election results. Party-affiliated positions on the state and county level will continue campaigning until the general election at 9:45 a.m. on Wednesday. The main event of the day and favorite of the citizens was second-time CGS speaker Megan Swanson, 2014 Miss Nebraska. Swanson is now a college graduate, full-time speaker and advocate for total body wellness, as well as an inspiration to many. She spoke to the state about the importance of getting to know yourself and your values and how that can help you achieve your dreams. Swanson ended the presentation with Q and A and a rendition of "Let It Go" from the movie "Frozen" per request of the citizens.
To end the afternoon session, Department Poppy Chairman Jenice Bates and Virginia Nelson, past Department President and our CGS Education Director, gave a poppy wreath presentation. The Poppy Program is the main fundraising program put on by the American Legion Auxiliary to support active-duty military, veterans and families by the distribution of crepe paper poppy flowers. It was an honor to have Bates among us along with her special guest for the day, a young girl from Springview who won the Poppy Poster Contest. During the presentation, Girls State citizens all added a poppy to a wreath that will be presented to veterans next Memorial Day.
The rest of the afternoon flew by with activities before dinner and pictures with their cities and the entire Girls State. Soon it was time for the gubernatorial debate featuring Emma Redinger of Hastings from the Nationalist Party and Taylor Schendt of Omaha from the Federalist Party. Contrary to typical CGS ways, this years debate was spontaneously held in the great outdoors! The citizens happily agreed to enjoy the beautiful weather and save some steps. The bottom four floors were the first to attend the debate on the greenspace outside of Sandoz Hall while the top four floors participated in whistle stop campaigning. Both candidates agreed on many issues but had distinct personalities, which led to an exciting end to an action-packed day!
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