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State of the Boys

Volume 65, Issue 4 Thursday, June 13, 2013

The Field Is Set


The slate of candidates is set for tomorrows 8 a.m. general election. Either Federalist Simmeon Toronto, left, or Nationalist Brian Hastings will be elected Boys State 2013 governor. Theyre shown with 2012 governor Zach McFarland. See Page 3 for an Election Primer.

Lobbying: Theres a right way, and wrong way


By Cody Goodchild, Moorhead Wednesday morning, lobbyist Ted Daley woke up a listless crowd with a rousing Good morning Minnesota Boys Staters! It quickly became apparent that the mans profession includes getting attention. While his presentation was more serious than others (Daley was quoted as saying I couldnt even think of a funny story) it brought across an important message: that lobbyists are not shady men with pockets full of money, serving corporate interests, but just people attempting to influence a decision. As Daley stated, were all lobbyists. Daley was a Boys Stater in 1983, graduated from West Point, served our country in the Navy, and became a state senator in Minnesota. Here he first encountered lobbyists, including a man who lobbied in what Daley called the right way. This man drafted a bill that would help Minnesotans, brought it to congressmen on both sides of the aisle, and brought

Ted Daley in families who would be helped by the bill to explain to the state Legislature why they should approve it. The bill passed. Out of office now, Daley has become a successful lobbyist, usually lobbying for veterans. He has authored six bills that support our veterans over the last year, and they

have all been approved. One that Daley was especially proud of was the Private Sector Veterans Employment Act, which passed unanimously. The law allows businesses to openly have a preference toward hiring veterans over those who have not served in the military. This measure helps lower the high unemployment rate among state veterans. Though Daley has been influencing decisions throughout his life, it appears a major decision of his was influenced as well. When asked if Boys State influenced his decision to run for office, Daley responded, Yes. There was something about the experience here. After citing other factors, such as his family and military service, he returned to Boys State, saying that it was somehow deep in my psyche. Leaving on the same rousing cry as the one he came in with, Daley left a clear impression on the audience: not only can Boys State influence decisions, but all Boys Staters have that ability, as well.

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Nationalist Convention Proves to be Noisy, Productive


By Tyler Johnson, Anoka Tired, wet and cold, a group of Boys Staters huddles together across the courtyard, just outside of the Student Center doors. I strike up a conversation with one member of the group. He has a blue dot on his name tag, which indicates that he is a fellow member of the Nationalist Party. We speculate about what the upcoming convention will be like. As we walk into the convention, the atmosphere is electric. The first thing that hits us is the noise. All of the attendees seem to have an abundance of issues they are anxious to discuss, as conversations swirl around me as we enter the lecture hall. Looking around quickly, I find the sign reading "Nicollet, and rush to join my fellow delegates. What strikes me first about our elected chairman is his ability to keep all of the delegates on task and focused on our agenda. Perhaps the most interesting race for state positions -- for governor -commences toward the end of our second session. Seemingly in one motion, the candidates move up to Nationalist state convention participants vote during Wednesdays session.

the front of the room to make their speeches (myself included). A certain mixture of confidence and fear are evident on the faces of my fellow nominees. Speaking last, the room goes silent as Brian Hastings steps up to the podium. His composure under the extreme pressure, energy in his speaking, witty delivery and knowledge of our platform made me want to vote for him even over myself. Following his speech, the chair calls for a vote on the nominees. After three very strenuous rounds of

voting, the Nationalist party officially endorsed Brian Hastings. Immediately the room erupts as a mass of young men rush to congratulate him. As I leave the lecture hall, I begin to reflect on my experience. While seemingly overwhelming at first, the convention proved to be a fun, educational and productive experience for all of us. Based off of our state convention, the Nationalist party has proved to be an understanding and cooperative group of young men who will carry those characteristics throughout our time here at Boys State 2013. like to have fun and play pranks on each other while there is a lull in conversation. Surprisingly, Rep. Daudt explained that bills are often supported by both parties and cooperation is very common (although never in the news). Daudt also made sure to outline the majority and minority roles in the legislative system while Rep. Woodward responded to a question on teamwork, explaining that We cant all get along because we live in a representative Democracy. Both representatives signed off from their speech by reminding Boys Staters to stay interested in politics.

Well, the answer is quite complicated. First, a representative must author a bill (with the help of a lobbyist or advisor) and bring it out for first reading. It is then sent off to relevant committees to be accepted, By Garret Swanson, Austin amended or failed. After committees When House minority leader Kurt the bill is ready to be debated; if it Daudt took the stage Wednesday passes the House it moves on to the night, he used his raspy voice to Senate for consideration and vice explain how a bill becomes law and versa where, if accepted, passes into how the legislative process works. It law. turns out they are both very compliBeing a legislator has always been cated processes. Rep. Daudt was a dream for minority leader Daudt, also joined on stage by Rep. Kelby who started off as a county commisWoodard, who helped Daudt answer sioner before running for the House. questions. He explains that being a legislator is So how does a bill become law? not just all boring politics -- they

Daudt Explains How a Bill Becomes Law

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2013 Boys State Election Primer


Federalist Candidates
Governor: Simeon Toronto, Duluth Lt. Governor: William Steffel, Rochester Sec. of State: David Pellegrini, St Paul Auditor: John Schwieters, St Peter
Simeon Toronto

Nationalist Candidates
Governor: Brian Hastings, Houston Lt. Governor: Tommy Wolfe, Austin Sec. of State: Dan West, St Peter Auditor: Brandon Fabel, Mankato
Brian Hastings

Attorney General: Cody Goodchild, Moorhead Chief Justice: Jedadiah Rothstein, St Paul Associate Justice: Brent Thompson, Duluth Associate Justice: Derrick Shupe, Moorhead

Attorney General: Brendan Mulvey, Minneapolis Chief Justice: Simon Beck, St Paul Associate Justice: Joe Pearman, Rochester Associate Justice: Trey Tollefson, Winona

Party Platforms

Abolition of affirmative action quotas (including diversity quotas), Class CAP, and investigations on funding Welfare reform mandatory drug testing, job training Research and development for clean energy sources Research and development for alternatives in infrastructure Increase veteran support partnership alongside American Legion Increase technology in Law Enforcement and technological training Purging of invasive species - i.e. Asian Carp through bounty and legal fishing in all Minnesota lakes Ultimate Frisbee should be included as a Boys State sport.

Support alternative energy and lift the ban on building nuclear energy (nuclear reactors) Support additional public transportation Support environmental protection Support the prioritization of funding for education Support the reorganization of the welfare system and support stricter regulations on welfare recipients Support the relocation of subsidies to smaller farmers Support increasing revenue through tax reform and increasing taxes on higher tax brackets Support small business Support improving the commerce infrastructure of Duluth Support veterans rights

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A lot of food, and Planning, Goes Into Feeding Staters


By Bryan Thao, Hibbing I was amazed to see how many apples were needed to supply the fit and hungry men of Boys State for a week: a whopping 1,025, give or take a core or two. The man behind the delicious dishes that have been supplied to us is Chef Dennis Nord. Hes 49 years old, and currently lives in Tracy, Minn. Upon meeting him for the first time, I was greeted with joy and comfort. I first asked him why he chose to become a chef. Ive always been interested in the restaurant business, and have been active in serving colleges, night clubs and programs such as Boys State for 16 years. Feeding an army of young men cant be easy. The hardest part of feeding them is to just get everything organized, get the food order in, hire the staff members, and hopefully get things moving smoothly. This is without a doubt a hard task to accomplish, and the numbers tell the story of what it takes to feed the leaders of tomorrow. For instance, in a Boys State week, the food service at SMSU (ARAMARK) goes through 90 gallons of milk; 3,200 cookies; 54 gallons of pasta sauce; 600 cake donuts; 120 pounds of shredded cheese; 1,050 bananas; and 300 pounds of hamburger. With all of his experience at Boys State, I asked Chef Nord about a funny or unusual experience hes had. A couple years ago I had a student volunteer come in. I told him wed be busy so I needed him to make grilled cheese sandwiches. Little did I know he had no idea how to make them. I came to check on him and all he had was melted cheese inside the bread that was laid flat on the grill. Having spent much of his career in food and nutri-

Chef Dennis Nord tion, I asked him if there was any advice hed give Boys Staters about diet. You are all still very young men and need the nutrition to supply your ever -growing bodies. Always remember to take care of yourself; age will catch up with you quickly if you fail to do likewise. I shook his hand and thanked him for the food Id received from him. If there was anything I learned from Chef Nord, it is that the passion he has to feed these young men shows in the food he prepares for us. I would like to advise every member of Boys State, including staff members, to thank the chef and his staff for the service they provide and for giving us the nutrition we need.

He Was Out
Andy Post, who oversees the political activity in Cook and Rock Counties, is making a real sacrifice this week. Post broke his ankle recently sliding into third base during a softball game in Edina. Instead of crutches, he props his left leg up on a scooter that he uses to get around. Post is a 2005 Boys Stater and has been on the staff eight years. Post lives in St. Louis Park and works for the state Legislature. Oh. He was out at third.

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Protests In Turkey Continue


Matt Hejna, Hibbing For many, Turkey is not a major country in the global scale. Most people could probably locate Turkey on a map, but little is known about its politics or culture. However, the past decade or so, Turkey has been growing at 8 percent for nonoil-based economies. This puts them second in the world to only China. However, as we see throughout history, a rebellion can destroy a nation. In late May, protesters organized a sit-in to protect a park from being destroyed and turned into a mall. As a result, police responded with hostility to the protesters, utilizing high-powered water hoses and tear gas. This incident, along with other problems such as the limitation of purchasing and consuming alcohol, led to a full revolution in the nation. One might ask why the United States would be worried about a developing nations revolt. The primary reason would be because the United States has supported Turkey as a Muslim democracy. Seeing this endorsement turn so sour is a huge blow to the credibility of the United States, and to the belief that a Muslim democracy can exist. Underlying the growth, the nation has had problems with both federal and private debt. There are also problems with freedom of speech, as some journalists who speak out against the government run the risk of being imprisoned. The Turkish revolution is not only a devastating event for that nation, but also hurts the future of Muslim democracies, as this was the shining example of it in the United States eyes.

Military Panel
Last night, we were treated to a panel of military professionals. Unlike most of the presentations at Boys State, where questions were asked at the end, this presentation was made specifically for questions. The panel was asked about war stories, and about favorite weapons (the consensus: a grenade launcher). The program was very interesting, and taught us plenty about the military. (Douglas Rudau, Hibbing)

Youngsters propel Twins; Chicago wins

By Robert Latvala, Minneapolis Last night the Chicago Blackhawks and the Boston Bruins battled it out in the first round of the Stanley Cup finals. By Quinn Maetzold, St. Peter Starting off in the first period Boston On Wednesday night, the Twins emerged victorious in their game against quickly took advantage of the game as they put in the first goal. The next perithe Philadelphia Phillies in an exciting od both teams scored one goal bringing comeback win. Minnesotas comeback was fueled by the score to 2-1 Boston. As the third period was underway Boston put in one multiple minor league call- ups while goal and the Chicago Blackhawks anPhiladelphias lineup faltered. The win swered back by scoring two goals, leavwas garnered through superior pitching ing the game tied at 3-3. Then, the game and strong showings from the hands of went into three over-times and was endClete Thomas and Oswaldo Arcia, both ed by Chicagos young talent Andrew recently joining the team from the miShaw, who tipped in a goal. With such nors. This win marked the Twins 29th win of the season and Philadelphias fifth an intense first game in the playoffs, everyone is looking forward to what the straight loss. These two teams face off series has in store. once again tonight at Target Field.

Snapshots
By Quinn Maetzold, St. Peter Name: Raul Flores Garcia Jr. Hometown: San Diego, CA, lives in Hackensac Boys State City: St. Peter Why I am attending Boys State: I am currently attending because my dean of students nominated me. I accepted, and so I literally started from the bottom, now Im here. Favorite Movie: Step Brothers Whats on my Ipod: Macklemore (Chaz), Biggie Smalls, Kendrick Lamar, Def Leppard, Queen, Ke$ha, Carly Ray Jepsen, System of a Down, etc. Favorite School Subject: Science

People would be surprised to know that I: Hip-Hop dance, sing in the shower, and love my counselor Chaz. Name: Bailey Mueller Hometown: Park Rapids Boys State City: St. Peter Why I am attending Boys State: To gain knowledge and understanding of the Minnesota government. Favorite Movie: Step Brothers Whats on my Ipod: All of the classics: Katy Perry, Bruno Mars, the Lumineets, etc. Favorite school subject: Physics People would be surprised to know that I: Plan to become a commercial pilot someday.

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This week in Tech: New Playstation 4; Apple unveils iOS7


By Thomas Wanous, St. Cloud On Monday while we were all learning about Parliamentary Procedure, the party system, and all the rest, the giants of tech were preparing for their press conferences that day where they would reveal the latest in technology. Starting off we have Sony, which finally, after their previous press conference in February, revealed what the new Playstation 4 looks like. I have to be honest with you, the look of the new console was probably the low point of the conference, but it all got better from there. Among other things, they told the attentive audience that the PS4 would not implement any sort of DRM for used games that the Xbox One will be using. They will also continue to offer their online gaming for free and the console will not need to connect to the internet each day to be playable. So overall, Sony was saying come to us, because we arent Microsoft. Meanwhile, in the Microsoft camp, Microsoft went the way they should have gone in their conference in early May, which was to solely focus on the gaming aspects of the console. The Xbox One will feature an upgraded version of the Kinect, which will even be able to track your heartbeat. They also unveiled some Xbox One exclusives, including a new Halo, What Lies Below, The Witcher 3, and Dead Rising 3. To end their conference they unveiled a new version of the 360, which looks more like the Xbox One. During the Microsoft Conference, Apple was unveiling the new iOS7. With this new version, the home screen and apps have been made to look more simplified, with no shadow in the background and more clean looking app pictures. No major new features were released, but some of the security holes that were4 in iOS6 were patched. Thats it for the big news this week, but if you are a PC gamer, you should be looking forward to the Steam Summer Sale, which will feature many AAA games for up to 90% off, which is expected to start in the next 3 -4 weeks. Finally, three games are coming out this week: The Last of Us for PS3, Zeno Clash II for the Xbox Live Arcade, and Man of Steel for iPhone and Android.

The new Playstation 4

Athletic Results
Softball Softball was rained out Basketball Winona def. Minneapolis St. Cloud def. St. Paul Mankato def. Hibbing Austin def. Moorhead Rochester def. St. Peter Duluth def. Anoka Volleyball Minneapolis def. Winona St. Cloud def. St. Paul Hibbing def. Mankato Moorhead def. Austin St. Peter def. Rochester Duluth def. Anoka

Menus
Thursday Dinner 1/4-cut chicken Mashed potatoes w/ gravy Corn Bratwurst w/bun Assorted bars Friday Breakfast French toast w/ maple syrup Scrambled Eggs Kielbasa Deep fried breakfast cubes

Friday Lunch Tator Tot Hotdish Grilled cheese Mixed vegetables Cantaloupe & watermelon Friday Dinner Salisbury steak w/ mushroom gravy Scalloped potatoes Cheddarwurst w/ bun Carrots Assorted cookies

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At the Conventions
State conventions were held Wednesday as both parties picked their roster for Fridays general election. Clockwise from top left: Nationalists hash things out; keeping tabs on the votes; waiting to speak; Federalists take a blind vote; the conventions were a good opportunity to engage in discussion.

Photos by Jim Tate and Emily Neperman

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Boys State Images

Clockwise from top left: There was a dash for lunch on Wednesday; a volleyball team warmed up before its match; Kate Bredeck and Priscilla Rotunda are two main cogs in the Boys State office; Nationalists settled in at the start of their state convention; two Staters show the camaraderie that Boys State elicits; Boys Staters were excited to find strawberries as a fruit offering Wednesday.

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