Floor 5 Clinton profile by Madison Hurst

     Opening the door to floor five, one could find a variety of scenes. There may be music playing, conversations among citizens about numerous topics, or even brainstorms of cheers for session events. Many of the citizens may not have known each other before the week, but that changed within the first day.

     With the theme of the floor being “busy bees,” the citizens began the activities of their week in Lincoln. During the first day, Senior Counselor Haley King had the girls of floor five participate in an icebreaker activity. This activity included saying names, where they were from, and one item they could not leave home without. It was a way to get to know a little bit about one another at the beginning of the week.

     The citizens of Clinton came from many parts of the state, but as connections were being made, the City grew closer. Although the floor as a whole had a united feel about it, there were several citizens who were enthusiastic about making a name for themselves.

     Citizens running for a City office had the chance to participate in the week’s first whistle stop campaigns. Running from door to door, citizens had materials including anything from posters with rhyming slogans to bags of candy. Nerves may have been running high, but girls were able to put themselves out of comfort zones to get people to remember their name.

     Kealy Fischer arrived at Girls State hopeful to run for Governor. Her main area of concern for her campaign would be to focus on the issues that the state has pushed aside for too long. For campaigning, she brought a tablecloth with American flags around the border to hang on her door. When it came time to campaign for primaries, Fischer decided to wear the tablecloth as a cape, drawing attention as she walked hallways. Although Fischer did not make the general election, she took the experience to be a learning opportunity.

     Mildred Young went to the first Nationalist party meeting with the hope of being nominated for Chairman. Young was the first nomination for the position at the start of the meeting and won out of three total candidates. When Kristi Nohavec turned the meeting over, Young led discussions that outlined the party platforms.

     Many citizens on floor five were able to make new connections in one way or another. Whether it was talking to a roommate about life in their hometown or what they expected from Girls State, they were able to make new contacts. The citizens of Clinton made their own paths during the week with the support of all counselors and volunteers.