Don't rain on our parade

The citizens of Cornhusker Girls State awoke to rain falling outside their windows, but there was nothing but sunshine provided by the citizens inside Mari Sandoz Hall.

The delegates spent their morning voting for Girls Nation senators joint session. Friday morning the Girls Nation finalists will be announced and the finalists will be interviewed. After the interview and some heavy consideration the two Girls Nation senators will be announced Saturday at graduation.

After voting the citizens took a soggy walk to Kimball Hall for the second to last joint session with Cornhusker Boys State. Citizens met early in the day for a debate between the chairs of the Nebraska Democratic and Republican parties. J.L. Spray and Vince Powers introduced themselves, said their opening statements and then let the Girls and Boys State citizens ask questions. The respective media groups formulated the questions for the debate; focusing on Nebraska issues like gay marriage, the TransCanada pipeline and the transportation of marijuana from Colorado.

If seeing the boys wasn't exciting enough, a few hours away was the governor inauguration. Citizens ate quickly and walked quickly in the spitting rain the mile to the Capitol. Once there, the citizens got the chance to explore the historic building and get a bird's eye view from the top observation deck.

With exploring done, the main event was on. The 2015 governor of Girls State, Kamryn Sannicks, the senators and the rest of the inaugural group were sworn in. Sannick's mother, sister and other close friends watched her raise her right hand and repeat after the Supreme Court Justice. After all was said and done the citizens dispersed to different offices within the Nebraska government system to learn about their elected or appointed positions.

Rain continued to dampen the ground, but not the excitement of the impending visit to the Nebraska National Guard base. White buses came to pick girls up and take them to the base. The soldiers on the buses encouraged the girls to cheer as loud as possible all the way to the base and back again. Citizens got up close and personal with the equipment the National Guard uses on a regular basis, including Comanche aircraft, BAMBI buckets and the base control center. The base also had a jungle gym set up, allowing the girls to release all their pent up energy.

One would think all the excitement from the day would wear a teenager out. After floor meetings many girls went to different lobbies or rooms to hang out and unwind after the whirlwind day. They had realized that today marked the over half way point and Girls State is coming to an end.

Visit the Girls State Gazette Online tomorrow for coverage of Girls Nation interviews and the last joint session with Cornhusker Boys State. 

Gubernatorial debate

Story by Samantha O’Neal

The Gubernatorial Debate took place at 7:00 p.m. in the Union Ballroom on Tuesday evening. Governor candidates from both the Federalist and Nationalist parties were given questions to debate on for two minutes each.  Earlier that day the winners of the primary elections were announced and the Governor candidate from both parties debated later that evening. Kameryn Sannicks became the Federalist party Governor candidate, and Macie Clawson represented the Nationalist party.

The questions that both Sannicks and Clawson faced during the debate differed.  Some questions were about their own personal weaknesses and strengths. Most of the questions, however, involved current event topics within the state of Nebraska.  Some of these topics came from within the United States as well.

Sannicks spoke about the Federalist party’s platform prior to the debate.  Sannicks stated that the Federalist party did not support the use of fracking for extracting resources from Nebraska’s fields. Another plank in the party’s platform was to support the reform of school lunches by pushing for more cost effective, nutritional meals. The Federalist party supports the de-emphasizing of standardized testing while emphasizing student achievement in Nebraska. The Federalist party also thanked the American Legion Auxiliary for the Girls State program.

Clawson then spoke on the Nationalist party’s platform.  Clawson stated that the Nationalist party supported the increasing of state funding for mental health institutions. Nationalists also opposed the further construction of the Keystone XL pipeline. Clawson explained that the Nationalist party supported the equalization of the wages across gender, race and sexual orientation in the work force. Finally, the Nationalist party thanked the American Legion Auxiliary for the Girls State program.

Throughout the debate, the candidates answered the questions to their best ability. Sannicks and Clawson both made interesting points with their opinions. Sannicks and Clawson closed the session with their final remarks to the Girls State delegates.

Federalist party first meeting

Story by Kayla Hughes

At 1:45 p.m. the Federalist and Nationalist parties held their first party meetings. To start off the Federalist Party meeting the Federalist advisor Micala Cruse Demps began the elections. The party Chairwoman was elected first. After voting, Fillmore delegate Kamryn L. Sannicks was elected party Chairwoman. Next was the election of delegate Ashtyn B. Cooper, who is living in the town of Polk for the week, as the party’s Vice Chairwoman. The party Secretary-Treasurer elected was delegate Alexandra M. Carlini, who is living in Jackson for the week.

Once elections were done, volunteers and the party’s artists for the emblem and slogan had to be chosen. Sannicks then called for four volunteers for the platform committee. Then Sannicks continued to call for volunteer artists to draw the party’s emblem. After the artists had drawn their emblems, it was decided that a federalist coin facing up would be the party’s emblem to symbolize the party being superior. The slogan, “Federalists are always on top” was adopted.

Subsequently the Federalist party needed a platform; thus the platform topic debate began. The party began discussing fracking (definition-the process of injecting liquid at high pressure into subterranean rocks to force open existing fissures and extract oil or gas.) which was discovered to be illegal due to the possibilities of contamination of local water.

A party member then suggested that school lunches needed to have larger portions at a cheaper price for athletes. After some debate, it was decided that athletes would be scratched from the plank, and then it would be accepted.

It was later then decided the Federalists would deny the legalization of casinos. Another important topic accepted to become a plank was the de-emphasizing of NeSA testing and focusing on personal achievement instead. The Federalists’ last bill of the meeting accepted by the Federalists was a thank you to the American Legion Auxiliary for conducting Girls State. The meeting was then adjourned for the afternoon.

E pluribus unim: four cities, one county

Story by Kelsey Sternad 

Delegates at Girls State are both divided and united in several ways. Fictional political parties split the citizens in two through friendly competition, while eight separate cities provide citizens with a community environment where delegates can boast to one another with pride. Another division at Girls State is between the two counties: Jefford, which includes floors two through five, and Skillman, comprised of floors six through nine. Skillman County contains four cities. Tyler occupies the sixth floor, Polk the seventh, Taylor the eighth and Fillmore the ninth.

The environment between the four cities under Skillman County is described by citizens as relaxed and friendly. According to Olivia Bures, a resident of Taylor, the relationship between her city and the surrounding cities is a strong one.

"We had a dance party with some girls from the ninth floor the other night, it was pretty fun," Bures said.

Each individual floor also contains a small, tightknit community. Taylor Kool, a resident of the ninth floor which holds the city of Fillmore, said that, "We're like a family, it's great. I love our floor." Kool also noted that at the beginning of the week everyone was quiet and reserved, but now they are all comfortable with one another. 

Skillman County also has many of its own elected representatives. Some positions include County Treasurer, a role fulfilled by Jacqueline Perriot, a citizen of Polk, and County Attorney, a spot received by Emily Cumming, a citizen of Tyler. The Skillman County Board of Regents is made up of Holly Berkey, Mercedes Isaacson, Caitlyn Moore and Nicole Placek. The first two board members are citizens of Tyler and Taylor respectively, while Moore and Placek are both from the city of Fillmore.

Skillman County is made up of four distinct cities and includes over 200 unique citizens, but it has thrived as an enjoyable community environment because of the passion for Girls State that they all share.

Floor eight counselor profiles

Story by Tennessee Anderson

Sarah Pogue

The Junior Counselor on floor eight, the city of Taylor, is Sarah Pogue.

Pogue went to Girls State in 2013 at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. She also applied and interviewed for Girls Nation.

Pogue went to Girls State to learn more about how her Government works. She also really wanted to meet new people and work on her leadership skills. What she enjoyed about Girls State was meeting new friends from across the state of Nebraska, and being able to express herself more than she could at her school.

After graduating Girls State, Pogue decided to become a Junior Counselor because of her own counselor. She made an impact on Pogue and helped her make an impact on others.

Pogue’s favorite pastime is being a photographer. In other words, she especially enjoys taking photos.

 Sarah is currently attending the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and she is majoring in broadcasting, because she really likes sports and wants to make a difference in the world of film.   

              

Kelsey Gretch

When Kelsey Gretch finished Girls State she wanted to give back by helping future generations of Girls State delegates. She also wanted to give them the experiences that she had enjoyed. This year she is the Middle Counselor on floor eight which is the city of Taylor.

Gretch attended Girls State in 2012. She wanted to go to Girls State to learn more about government and how the voting system works. She also wanted to learn leadership skills and establish herself as a better leader.

During Girls State she enjoyed campaigning and it helped her get out of her comfort zone.

When she has downtime she enjoys watching every kind of TV series on Netflix, and she also likes to read books.When Kelsey was younger she loved to read, she would even read all day or stay up all night reading with a nightlight.  

Gretch attends the University of Nebraska at Kearney and she is majoring in Social Work and minoring in Gerontology. She wants to eventually get her masters degree in Social Work and work as a Medical Social Worker or be a director of a nursing home.

In high school Kelsey enjoyed her classmates and how close they became over the years. Her favorite subject was American Government because she was able to learn more about politics, and it helped to spark her interest in running for office someday.

Kathy Mazur

This year Kathy Mazur is the Senior Counselor on floor eight, the city of Taylor. When Mazur goes to Girls State she enjoys the energy of the girls that she hangs out with.

Mazur got involved with Girls State because of an email she had received saying that they needed her help as a Senior Counselor.

During her downtime she enjoys reading Murder Mysteries or Adventure novels. She also does a lot of volunteering. Mazur loves going to baseball games. She has played softball and still loves to play when she can.

Kathy attended the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and received a Bachelors of Science in Business Education. She chose this major because of her interest in book keeping and security of study.

Mazur attended high school in Gretna, and her favorite thing was being a librarian because she loved keeping books in order on their shelves.  

 

 

Lori Skallerud

Story by Hannah Schmitz

Lori Skallerud is very passionate about her work with the American Legion Auxiliary.  After 45 years of dedicated membership, she has become the Northwest Division National Vice President.  Her love for the organization sprouted approximately 44 years ago when she had the opportunity to carry the colors.  Skallerud recalls that after attending a few local Auxiliary meetings in Minnesota, she was asked to attend a district meeting.  At this district meeting, she was asked to carry the colors.  Skallerud can still remember how moving this experience was.

Skallerud’s story was only just beginning at that district meeting.  She knew she was eligible at that moment because her father was a WWII veteran, her husband was a Korean Conflict veteran and her brother was a Vietnam veteran.  She joined and later served all of the district and department offices, moving up in position until she earned the prestigious office she holds today.

This job names her as the overseer and representative of the national organization.  She presides over seven states, including Nebraska and her home state of Minnesota.  She is currently supporting the Five Year Strategic Plan.  This plan is a list of five main goals, one of the most important of them being that the national organization reaches 1,000,000 members.  When asked about what she enjoys most about her job, she answered that she enjoys meeting people.  Skallerud likes to visit the different Auxiliary posts and seeing the work that these units have done.  Skallerud said, “The passions are different.”

Skallerud was successful even before she became a member of the Auxiliary.  She served her community as a police officer for ten years.  She also worked for the Veteran Service Office and later the Red Cross.  In addition to all of this, she is a mother.  She had three children with her late husband and now has six grandchildren.  One of her granddaughters is running for a district office in the Auxiliary.  She is now engaged, which she is very excited about.

Skallerud advises all young women to join the Auxiliary.  She is fearful of the Auxiliary shrinking in size and said it is important to get new ideas.  

“We need members to help get bills passed to help our veterans,” said Skallerud. “If we don’t continue to grow, we won’t continue to help our veterans.”  

She also encouraged delegates at the session on Wednesday to thank their Auxiliary unit at home for giving them this amazing opportunity.  Also at the session, she told the citizens of Girls State not to take Girls State lightly, because the information obtained will be carried with the citizens throughout the rest of their lives.

Skallerud has had an outstanding career with the American Legion Auxiliary that many others only dream about.  Who knows what else she will achieve in the years to come.

The differences

By: Haley Pierce

Throughout the week, many girls have noticed differences between Boys and Girls State. Truly, both camps are a powerful experience and learning instrument in leadership and government. However, each accomplish their goals in their own manner. Here, specific differences between Boys and Girls State are revealed.

Town bonding

While girls are often considered more emotional than boys, it is the Boys State citizens who have experienced specific bonding exercises. The Boys State cities played various games and shared personal information for team building. As Joseph Hunter explained, the exercises were, “kind of weird.” Over in Sandoz Hall, specific exercises were not used, and team building was the responsibility of the citizens. Even though the girls did not engage in specific bonding activities, the floors have become close throughout the week, and each citizen will leave with a new friend.

Activities

Throughout the week, Boys and Girls State citizens have participated in many activities. Many of the boys’ choices included sports. Football, softball, sand volleyball, track and basketball were all available. Options for girls included service learning and places of interest. Both camps offered choir, band, and media. However, the media programs demonstrate their own differences. At Boys State, a newsletter is produced every day; whereas Girls State produces a final newspaper. The Boys State news crew was even so lucky as to receive a presentation by a journalist who uses drones.

Cell phones

The use of cell phones also differentiates between the camps. Neither group is allowed to use cell phones during session. However, boys are encouraged to use their cell phones for campaigning and other Boys State activities. At Boys State, a website is used to manage campaign funds. Through this website, delegates can support people and ideas by forming Political Action Committees (PACs). Campaign space is also available in the newsletter. In contrast, Girls State citizens are discouraged from using technology and are not allowed to campaign on social media. Most boys are satisfied with the cell phone policy, while many girls are not.

Education

Girls State and Boys State take different approaches to educating the delegates. For the boys, there is an emphasis on leadership, and less time is spent discussing government specifics. Boys State often brings in guest speakers, but Girls State prefers in-house experts. Additionally, Virginia Nelson puts together exams for the Girls State citizens. A current events quiz and a government test are part of the Girls State curriculum.

Even though Boys and Girls State have their differences, everyone can agree the week has been fun-filled and educational. It is an opportunity that everyone will cherish. One thing will always be true of Boys and Girls State, along with many real political elections. As Jestin Casas explained, “No one cares about how much you know until they know how much you care.”

Mon-row: floor nine floor sketch

Floor nine otherwise called “Monroe” was known for their main cheer '1,2,3,4.' Not only are they “One and a Minion”, but the floor will be remembered for their energy and great friendships.

Monroe’s counselors were senior counselor Michelle, middle counselor Jordanna and junior counselor Kelsey. According to the girls, the counselors were really into Girls State and make it a fun experience. The life-long friendships on Monroe started as soon as the elevator doors opened. 

“The first night everyone really got along. We realized that we all have diversities, but we really understand each other and come together as not only a floor, but really good friends,” Madison Schlake said. 

Delegate Rebecca Brenner also had positive things to say about Monroe. “We all have really good roommates, we all hang out together and laugh.” 

Brenner said that she also enjoyed campaigning and all of the leadership that took place in Monroe.

Monroe is full of learning, leadership, and the beginning of friendships that will last a life time. 

By: Sadie Petersen

We were here, we were there, we’ve been everywhere: places of interest

Lincoln is the capital of our beautiful state of Nebraska. Groups from Girls State have been fortunate enough to tour points of interest in our capital. Delegates have learned about the fossils and relics at Morrill Hall and been given a wonderful tour of Memorial Stadium. 

    Walking into Morrill Hall the first thing you notice is Titanoboa--fossil of the largest snake ever discovered. The snake is estimated to be 60 million years old. The fossil itself measured 48 feet long and weighed almost 2,500 pounds. Many of the delegates took advantage of the chance to take a 'selfie' with the ancient monster. On the lower level a few delegates posed with a few zebras, on the top level delegates took advantage of the chance stand under dinosaurs.

    Delegates walked around the outside of Memorial Stadium before entering next to the Tom Osborne statue. As they walked into the lobby, their eyes were drawn to the second largest waterfall in the United States. Delegates walked down the hallway leading to where players ran onto the field, doing the all famous Tunnel Walk. Entering the stadium delegates claimed that the empty stadium was extremely eerie. One delegate said “Seeing Memorial Stadium empty is completely unimaginable after you been to games.” After being on the field delegates exited through on the of many gates open on game day.

    The Places of Interest tours opened many eyes to the great things our capital has to offer. Delegates enjoyed themselves and got a chance to meet other delegates that weren’t on their floor. Many said they would recommend the Places of Interest tours to future delegates and were happy they got the chance to see a few jewels of Lincoln. 

By: Makala Reeves

Counselor and staff profile sketches: part four

Gayla Schmid

Girls State Advisory Committee Member

Number of years involved in Girls State: Six.

Reason she’s involved in Girls State: “I’ve always been interested in youth programs and one year the President asked me to do it, so I became involved.”

Favorite part about Girls State: The girls and the knowledge they possess.

Advice: “Keep smiling--the greatest thing you can do is keep a positive attitude.”

Cydney Volker

Senior Counselor, City of Adams (Sixth Floor)

Number of years involved in Girls State: Six.

Reason she’s involved in Girls State: “I was the alternate to go to Girls State, but one year my roommate, who had gone to Girls State, asked if I would help as a counselor because they needed more help.”

Favorite part about Girls State: Meeting the counselors and the new girls.

Advice: “Enjoy senior year! Remember to tell everyone Girls State is awesome!”

Kaylee Dump

Middle Counselor, City of Bush (Third Floor)

Number of years involved in Girls State: Three.

Reason she’s involved in Girls State: Loved Girls State when she went as a delegate in 2009.

Favorite part about Girls State: “Watching the girls learn and open up to meeting new people.”

Advice: “Be open minded. It’s a scary experience, but it’s worth it. Come out of your comfort zone and enjoy the experience.”

Sapphire Andersen

Junior Counselor, City of Madison (Eighth Floor)

Number of years involved in Girls State: One.

Reason she’s involved in Girls State: “I loved the year I was there in 2012; my counselor inspired me to come back. I wanted to connect with the girls like she did.”

Favorite part about Girls State: “Seeing creative campaigning and connecting with girls.”

Advice: “You get out what you put in. Don’t be afraid about meeting new girls. Be yourself!”

Couselor and staff profile sketches: part three

                                                                                                          

Annette Gloystein- Senior Counselor

·         Living on the Eight Floor (Madison) this week.

·         Has been helping out with Girls’ State for 12 years

·         From Exeter

·         Self-employed

·         Member of Exeter’s school board

·         Her jobs at Girls’ State includes; supervising, keeping things moving, making sure the delegates are on time.

·         Decorates cakes

Jordanna Glock- Middle Counselor

·         Living on the Ninth Floor (Monroe) this week.
·         Has a little brother at Boys’ State this year, who she plans to embarrass by the end of the week
·         Responsible for making sure the girls are having fun
·         A student at the University of Nebraska at Kearney
·         Gives tours at her college
·         Works as a Certified Nursing Assistant
·         Does a lot of student research
·         From Rising City
·         Has been helping out with Girl’s State for two years
·         Helps the delegates on her floor with voting and filing

Jessica Svehla- Junior Counselor

·         Living on the Second Floor (Reagan) this week
·         Returned to Girls’ State to help out for two years
·         Attends the University of Nebraska
·         Interested in Interior Design
·         She has compressed her spine jumping the wake while wake boarding
·         Helps lead the delegates to their different sessions
·         Works for a wedding planner
·         From Lincoln
·         Helps the delegates get to know each other, and watches for appropriate clothing
·         Works at Memorial Stadium

Virgina Nelsen- Staff Member

·         Living on the Sixth Floor (Adams) this week
·         Originally from New Jersey
·         She is the education director here at Girls’ State
·         Has been involved with Girls’ State since 1999
·         She is a Teachers Aid for K-5
·         Loves the history about the Revolutionary War
·         Writes and grades tests for the delegates here at Girls’ State
·         Adds and subtracts points for the different floors
·         Currently living in Valentine
·         Interested in the history of our country

   By: Drew Purviance