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NHS students attend Boys’ State

By
Avery Chick, NLJ Correspondent

Every summer, Wyoming Boys’ State candidates are selected, interviewed and then eventually chosen to attend a conference where they participate in political conversation and scenarios. This year, three Newcastle High School students were chosen as delegates to Boys’ State: Holden McConkey, Tell Tavegie, and Heath Henkle. The conference, sponsored by the American Legion, took place June 12-18 on the University of Wyoming campus. 
“It’s a week-long deal, and they fill your day up. You wake up, do your fitness and get breakfast. From there, you go to groups and learn some things, form your own mock cities and sort of play with the systems that we have in place today,” McConkey said. 
According to the Wyoming Boys’ State website, “Wyoming Boys’ State, held annually in June, is a chance for high school juniors from across the state to participate in a week’s worth of activities to gain knowledge of their state and its governmental structure. Delegates learn first-hand how government works, experiencing what it takes to create and enact laws. The week emphasizes leadership, civic engagement and patriotism.” 
“We got the opportunity to form fake cities and try our best to run them using the political systems that we have in place today,” Tavegie said. “It was kind of cool to see how much goes into running some place as small as Wyoming towns.” 
“The first day they separated 40 people in three cities. Within the cities, we voted on city government. I was on the city council. Inside the cities, we made laws and solved issues,” Henkle said.
The three got to not only participate in workshops and learning opportunities but also to run for office in their little “mock cities.” The three “cleaned house,” so to speak, as they were elected by their peers to several different positions. Tavegie was elected mayor of his city and chief of staff. McConkey was elected sheriff, as well as the state superintendent of public instruction, and Henkle was elected secretary of state. 
Another perk of attending the convention was that boys from all around the state were able to visit with members of Congress and the Wyoming Legislature throughout the week. Tavegie spoke highly of his conversation with Sen. John Barrasso. 
In addition to running city governments, the delegates also got to choose whether or not they wanted to go into court scenarios. 
“We had a choice to go into court or legislation. In the courts, you do mock trials, and I got to argue with a real jury in a real courtroom for my court case,” Henkle said.
It was an enjoyable week, and although it was full of learning and networking with other kids around the state looking to become politically active in their future, all three boys also spoke of the fun that they had at the conference.
“To be honest, I didn’t really want to go at the beginning. I thought the kids there would be weird and it would be boring, but after some ‘twisting of my arm’ by Tell (Tavegie) and Heath (Henkle), I decided I should give it a shot.” McConkey said.
After participating in the conference, the soon-to-be senior said his thoughts had changed. 
“I couldn’t have been more surprised at the people I met there, kids that were really cool and wanted to be leaders just like me,” he said. 
Tavegie’s reasoning for attending was a bit more family related.
“A lot of people in my family have attended Boys’ State and really instilled how important an opportunity it was from the onset.” Tavegie said. Henkle also had a family member attend Boys’ State; however, he was a little more reluctant to attend than the excited Tavegie. 
“My brother went to Boys’ State when he was in high school, which, to be honest, made me want to go less, but Tell’s (Tavegie) parents wanted him to go and he didn’t want to go alone, so I thought I’d tag along.” Henkle said
All three concluded that kids should “just go for it …; you never know how fun or beneficial something can be until you’re there, so just go and see what it can do for you,” they said. 

 

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