By Luke Hampl -Staters Union
As a member of the press here at Boys State of Kansas, I have had access to every aspect of the simulation, I have spoken with someone on every level of the government from every department, and sat in on different meetings in every room of the building. After experiencing all the sim had to offer I can confidently say that the two days I have spent with the highway patrol have been by far the most informative and exciting. The night before I decided to embed myself in the highway patrol in order to write articles about them, I had stayed up until two in the morning in a meeting that lasted over six hours, during which almost nothing got done. To say I was frustrated would be the understatement of the century, so when on the morning after that meeting I saw the highway patrol outside learning self defense I jumped on the opportunity as quickly as I could. The first operation flew by as I learned the basics of using a police baton, and the second operation was also a blur as we had to maneuver an unwieldy golf cart without power steering around an obstacle course.
On my second day, during the first operation the Kansas SRT (Special Response Team), came and showed us all their equipment while telling us about the many jobs they do. During the second operation we went to the county jail for a tour and were shown how the prison is operated. As this is being written I have spent four days at boys state, half with the political side of the sim, and half with the highway patrol. What I am about to say next is not an exaggeration or an oversimplification: the highway patrol is the best thing to ever happen to any Stater that has the pleasure of joining it. During my two days in the highway patrol, I can confidently say that I have learned more than I ever would have in the government, done more than I ever would have in the government, grown more than I ever would have in the government, and most importantly, I had more fun than I ever would have in the government. To all future Staters who may read this, if you want the best possible experience at Boys State you should join the highway patrol.