Wednesday marks the halfway point of the week here at Cornhusker Girls State but the journey is far from over. The citizens were rewarded for all of their hard work so far and had a more relaxing morning on their floors. During this time, those in the running for the general election were able to campaign to the other citizens who were gathered in their floor lounges. One special campaign event that occurred this morning was the rapid fire campaign. All the candidates for state positions were escorted by staff to each floor one at a time and were asked questions about their political beliefs, strengths, and knowledge of their position. They had three minutes to answer before they were led to the next floor of citizens. General elections followed the campaigning.
Delegates were given an opportunity to intermix and get to know people from the other towns at Girls State during dot discussions. The senior counselors led conversations about a variety of current relevant issues including Veterans Affairs services, teen suicide, and what question they would ask the President if able. Once returned to their floors, the problem-solving continued while the elected city school board worked with their floors. Citizens collaborated to help schools with real life problems such as bullying and consolidation.
After a lunch break, the citizens left their floors and traveled to the Union for their afternoon assembly. Whispers traveled and faces were tense but eager- the general election results were about to be announced. All races were exciting but the governor race was the one that had everyone biting their tongues.
"And the winner is... Taylor Schendt!" A very happy Schendt hugged and shook hands with those around her and received congratulations from the room. The mood switched again when 2015 Girls Nation delegates Kamryn Sannicks and Kelsey Thomas spoke about their experiences and why Girls Nation is such a beneficial time. Over 50 citizens then nominated themselves to be the 2016 delegates.
State senators were dismissed after this time to write bills that they will propose during a mock legislative session on Thursday. While the senators were working, the rest of CGS heard Sarah McDonalds and Carlin Daharsh speak. Both are former Cornhusker Girls Staters and are currently active in politics. The citizens listened intently while McDonalds and Daharsh jointly shared about their lives as well as how women have important and empowering roles in society. At the end of session, the entire state broke into a CGS dancing celebration! Once the delegates had sufficiently sung and cheered their hearts out, they headed off to their last day of activities, dinner, and their second joint session with Boys State.
The session began with the concert by the Boys and Girls State Band directed by Jim Kucera. The group played patriotic songs and Hail Varsity and got a standing ovation after every piece. Following the band were greetings by several Husker athletes and coaches. Among those who shared advice were head volleyball coach John Cook, head football coach Mike Riley, and head men's basketball coach Tim Miles! The next man on stage was equally as successful on the UNL campus, choir director Peter Eklund. Eklund conducted the Boys and Girls State Choir in a beautiful and moving concert.
The final event of the day was one that delegates had been looking forward to all week: the address by the Honorable Pete Ricketts, Governor of the State of Nebraska. Ricketts was escorted on stage by the governors of Boys and Girls State where he told of the tradition, honor, and opportunity of speaking there every year. He shared with the delegates insights about leadership along with his personal journey that led him to the governor position. Furthermore, he opened up the floor for questioning. "What are you doing to help small businesses hurt by the federal minimum wage increase?" and requests to explain and justify actions of his administration were included in the questions asked. Ricketts' speech was a combination of qualities - relevant, interesting, and light-hearted at times - all of which joined to create a very beneficial evening.
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