Staters during registration[/caption]
On the morning of Sunday, June 5, students from around the state gathered at Kansas State University for the annual American Legion Boys State of Kansas convention. The weeklong event started with the registration of nearly 500 participants in the Engineering Hall.
Delegates left their families for a week packed full of learning experiences about the Kansas Government. As the parents dropped off their sons in typical collegiate style, they were greeted with a tour of the campus led by a university representative.
One student, Cody Gish from De Soto, was ready for the new experience and will attempt to keep an open mind on everything. “I was very excited when I heard that I could attend,” Gish said.
Although the drive from De Soto wasn’t nearly as long as many other staters, Gish had a while before he arrived in Manhattan and spent this time mentally preparing for the week ahead. “The drive was almost two hours,” Gish said. “Driving through the Flint Hills was very pretty, but it was boring after being in them for a while.” Aside from having registration issues, Gish successfully checked in and joined the band for the concert on Thursday.
Like many other staters, Gish’s father attended Boys State when he was in high school, but this didn’t pressure Gish to attend whatsoever. “I already knew that I wanted to participate, and I’m very happy to be here,” Gish said. Another participant, Ethan Palsmeyer from Paola, agreed that the registration was efficient. “Registration was easy and stress free after a two and a half hour drive from Paola,” Palsmeyer said.
Like many others, Palsmeyer decided to sign up to be in the chorus offered. Despite a busy first day, Palsmeyer expected a much more rigorous work schedule. “I was prepared for a lot more work when I arrived,” Palsmeyer said. “It’s not very rigorous with it being a normal work schedule, but I expect that it will pick up throughout the week.”
Despite initial impressions, both participants intend to make the most of their experience. Many staters before them have proclaimed that this is a week that will change lives.]]>
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