State of the Boys

Volume 65, Issue 3 Wednesday, June 12, 2013

Energetic Anderson wows Boys Staters

By Zac Wagner, Minneapolis You dont diss the reputation of a hero. These were some of the wise opening remarks of retired state Supreme Court Justice Paul Anderson on Tuesday night. He graduated from Macalester College in 1965 and from the University of Minnesota Law School in 1968. Since then, he has been a special assistant to the Attorney General, the Chief Court of Appeals judge, and among other things, he was appointed to the Minnesota State Supreme Court in 1994. However, one of the more important things that Anderson stressed is that he is a lifelong learner. The address was started by walking us through the evolution of government. Sam Emerson of St. Cloud was declared King Sam of the House of Emerson. However, people thought this to be unjust, and rebelled against him, and the beginnings of democracy were formed. We learned through the circle graphs about how governmental power was to be distributed. Jefferson and Hamilton thought that the Legislature should have more power over the other two branches, but eventually it was decided that they were to share the power equally, which is the way it remains today. Anderson was very interactive throughout the presentation, which at first some of us were taken aback by. Going into it most of us probably assumed that it was just going to be a regular presentation, but boy were we ever wrong. From having one guy choke him, to elbowing out two guys for the basketball of power, it was a very memorable presentation.

Retired Minnesota Supreme Court Justice Paul Anderson showed how the struggle between the three branches of government can be compared to boxing out in basketball. Anderson gave an entertaining and enthusiastic presentation to the Boys State participants. Anderson stated, Ill probably go home with a few bruises on my arm. Throughout the presentation, Anderson gave us some wise advice. Become educated and Never let anybody curb your curiosity. But perhaps most importantly, he stated, The world is run by those who show up we showed up! If there were no people who took an interest, then certain things or ideas would simply fade away. However, for example when we decided to come to the 65th annual American Legion Minnesota Boys State, we showed up. We showed that we had an interest, and we wanted to maintain and improve an already great thing. Although Anderson is now 70, he has the spirit of a younger man. He acts this way because he has a passion for life and learning. To him, he believes that although you cant pick your facts, you can formulate the facts given to you to establish your ethics. Anderson has had a long career in the judicial system that has taken him all over the world. The battles that he had to pick and choose from were picked with a solid mind, full of knowledge and opinion. When he was a Boys Stater back in 1960, he probably didnt know what his life had in store for him, just like many of us. But he decided to live life to the fullest, and he definitely showed up.

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Joe Mayne Gives Solid Advice to MN Boys Staters

By Tim Vassallo, St.Peter Joe Mayne doesnt use a microphone when he speaks to a crowd. He understands the importance of presenting yourself well, and authentically, when speaking. While entertaining the crowd he also provided a great deal of important information. Mayne instructed the Boys Staters about the importance of interviews, the reason why were attending Boys State, and the importance of personal preparation. With his graduation from St. Cloud State University, Mayne began his career in marketing and economics. As time passed, he would eventually find himself in the position of returning to the university in 1991 and speaking to a crowd on business ethics. After speaking, Mayne was approached by a man who asked him to speak again in front of his wife and her business. Mayne called the mans wife and asked her what she had heard from her husband and what she wanted. What she wanted was to Mayne to speak for her and her business. Thus, Joe Mayne began his career in public speaking. Today he is a member of the Minnesota Speakers Association and the National Speakers Association of America. Mayne, a former Boys Stater, Boy Scout and charter member of the Sons of the American Legion, addressed the necessity of interviews in todays business climate. Presenting yourself is key, he said, and perhaps the only thing more important than presentation is authentic presentation. It is the job of the individual to entertain any questions from an interviewer and answer them genuinely. Mayne went on to say, No one is more of an expert on you, then you. And even when youre speaking authentically, Mayne stresses the importance of

Joe Mayne connected with Boys Staters during his Tuesday talk. never wasting your interviewers time. Have shock value, dont offend, and dont waste their time, he said. When Cicero spoke, people listened. When Caesar spoke, people marched. Caesar had something that Cicero did not; he was leader of men. The reason why any of us are here, in the words of Mayne, is that someone had seen something great in us. Therefore, we are responsible to do our best to improve ourselves and come out of Boys State not with a spark of greatness, but as truly great men altogether. If we work at it we may even leave here like Caesar, as a leader. The power of the platform is undeniable. In order to succeed in life it is necessary to connect with people. In fact, it is almost a guarantee that any career choice we could make will begin by dealing with other people. Most people dont have the skills to speak properly and comfortably in public. The last U.S. census revealed that public speaking is the # 1 fear of Americans, beating out Death at #2, and Change at #3. When a speaker is prepared and delivers a strong speech while connecting with the audience through eye contact, and is both confident and authentic, the audience will empathize with him/her. Its obvious Maine possess a talent for oratory, a talent that is not only important for business life, but also for personal life. In closing Mayne said he could get all Staters a job within the next 10 minutes. However, that job would be one that doesnt pay what you want, isnt in the city that you want, and doesnt do what you want. Finding a job is easy, its finding a job that you love thats hard. By going to school, by volunteering in your community, by going to college, and even by attending Boys State, the first steps are, or will soon be, taken.

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Brandt a Choir Director Fixture at Boys State for 40 Years

By Ruben Flores, Duluth Me: "What kind of music do you like?" Time is pretty important. It runs our Him: I am an avid listener of Handel schedules, and potentially, our lives. In a and I also love Puccini. I am a fan of opera musical context, time is what keeps our and am especially fond of the opera La choir together and our rhythm intact. For Boehme. I also enjoy the Baroque period Boys State Choir Director Brad Brandt, celebecause of its florid ornamentation" brating his 40th year with the program, that I bet you didn't expect that one! Strike up means keeping Boys Staters in "rhythm." I a conversation with the man about music. think we can all agree that no matter how The enthusiasm and discerning taste he has you count it, his contributions have made a will not disappoint you, and is truly enterdifference for years. I had the pleasure to taining and informative to listen to. talk to Brandt about a cacophony of topics Me: Well, Mr. Brandt, if there is one Brad Brandt and this is what he had to say: piece of advice to give to Boys Staters what Me: "Where did you teach before retirewould it be? ment?" Him: I want to see boys go home with a better unHim: "I have taught in the towns of Frost, Winneba- derstanding of government. And If I may, I'll leave you go and Blue Earth, Minnesota. I have also taught in with these words. Be kind to each other always; always YBJ's school district in the state of Iowa." be kind. I think I like that word too compassion. You can tell this man has been around the block. All Brandt couldn't care more about his choir and Boys of the experiences he has undergone shows in the choir State. So guys, however you cut it, whether its for 40 room. weeks, 280 days, 6,720 hours, 403,200 minutes or Me: "What is your philosophy in the choir room?" 24,192,000 seconds -- that's a lot of time keeping all of Him: "To have fun, and also to learn good choral us boys listening to the rhythm of our songs but also the music." rhythm of our lives. And that, my friends, is the man There you have it folks, short and sweet. behind the pink pajamas.

Culhane Talks About Admission Process

By Jason Zhang, Rochester Sean Culhane, the college admission counselor at SMSU, gave a good speech about the admission process at SMSU. Southwest Minnesota University has about 3,600 students on its beautiful campus. Students receive a good education and most earn their degree within four years. He spoke and invited the Boy Stators to come and visit the campus and encouraged all Boy Staters to fill out an application. Boys Staters are all amazing in Sean Culhane some fashion, and those accomplishments are reflected in their university applications. Almost every university is willing to give scholarship to our Boy Staters. SMSU is not an exception. At SMSU, if you have minimum 3.5 GPA from your high school and a minimum 18 on your ACT, you are eligible for scholarships. If your achievements at your high school and ACT are better, the more scholarCulhane, continued on page 6

How Do You Spell That?

Dont get into a Scrabble game with Jed Rothstein. The St. Paul Boys Stater won the 2010 state spelling bee as an eighth grader, which qualified him for the Scripps National Spelling Bee in Washington, D.C. There, he lasted until the quarterfinals. What word did he spell to win the Minnesota title? Xanthochromia, a yellowish skin discoloration. The word is of Greek origin. He lives in Monticello, and attends St. Michael-Albertville High School.

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The Pros and the Cons of the Gun Control Debate

By Brandon Fabel, Mankato Gun control. These two words spark rabid debate among all Americans. Im not here to say which side is right or wrong, or tell you there is only one solution to the problem; but, I would like to look at all the different issues that surround the gun control debate. First, I want to talk about the Newtown, Connecticut shooting that brought gun control to the forefront in our country. A man decided one day to kill his mother, then go to Newtown Elementary School and kill children innocent toddlers, who had never done him any direct harm. Through this act of violence, our eyes were opened to the problems many inner cities already face. If you talk to police in Chicago where gang violence is very prevalent they would tell you how there are many instances that violence between rival gangs many times ends up in civilian fatalities. These civilians once again did not have any direct animosity toward the gangs, but were just victims of circumstance. Now, the question remains: How can we solve the problem of violence caused by guns? Barack Obama, in an effort to find answers, sent Vice President Joe Biden across the country, where he talked to over 300 gun-control activists, gun rights supporters, police officers, sheriffs, elected officials and violence experts, according to NBC News on January 16, 2013. The president was then able to come up with his plan on gun control. This plan includes such measures as limiting clip sizes, re-issuing the assault weapons ban, spending money to hire more law enforcement, new research into psychological disorders and stronger background checks. Now, what exactly are the pros and cons of each of these solutions, and then I will allow you, the people, to decide which is best. First, Ill start with the limiting of the clip sizes. Currently, the proposal states that clip sizes would be reduced to 10 rounds, which according to pro-gun control people allows people who participate in recreational hunting the right amount of ammunition to purse their prey. And yes, this seems to make sense, because people who participate in hunting usually only need four to eight rounds, depending if you are hunting deer or ducks. But people who advocate for gun rights believe that limiting clip sizes wont make a difference in shooting rampages like the ones weve seen at Newtown or Aurora, Colo. These people tell us to imagine how large a 10-round clip is compared to a hundred-round clip. A person could easily carry 30 to 40 10-round clips whereas a person could only carry two or three hundred -round clips. It is much easier to change a ten-round clip on a weapon than it is to change a hundredround clip. So, by enacting this law, gun rights people claim that it wont make a difference how big the clip size is. Next is re-issuing the assault weapons ban. People who are pro-gun control will state that assault weapons are killing machines; that they were designed for the military to do just that, kill other humans. These guns should not be available to the everyday consumer. However, people who are pro-gun rights feel that the fatality rate by guns did not go down and even went up in some instances under the last assault weapons ban. They want to know why some politicians keep pushing for failed policies that have no past track record of success. Next, we see the portion of the plan that calls for spending money to hire more law enforcement. This is an issue that both sides seem to agree on, except for how the money is to be spent. People who are for gun control want the money to be spent on hiring more general patrol officers, where guns rights groups like the NRA want the money to be spent to hire a police officer that shall be present in every school across the country. Maybe one of you guys has a better idea on how the government can spend this money earmarked for more law enforcement. Another point of the 23-point plan is spending more money on research for psychological disorders, which once again is an issue both sides agree on. However, the amount of money is up for grabs and exactly how the money will be spent are all question marks surrounding this portion of the plan. Should the money be spent on psychological disorders that tend to correlate with violent crime, or should we use this money as an opportunity to further understand the human brain? Finally, stronger background checks. People who are for gun control point toward the infamous gun show clause, which allows people to purchase weapons at gun shows without a background check. Opponents of gun control point out that the man who committed the horrible atrocities in Newtown say that stronger background checks would not have prevented that shooting, since the firearms used in the attack where all purchased legally by the mans mother, and he just took them from his mother to commit the crime. Even though the majority of Americans support stronger background checks, there are still many Americans who feel that stronger background checks infringes on their right to buy a firearm. Constituents of Boys State, gun control is a very divisive issue, and many people have deeply held opinions on the topic. But I hope that my article was just able to help inform you on the issues at hand, so you can make a more informed decision in the future.

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Athletic Results Tuesday

Softball Minneapolis def. Duluth St. Paul def. Rochester Winona def. Anoka St. Cloud def. St. Peter Moorhead def. Mankato Hibbing def. Austin Volleyball Duluth def. Minneapolis

St. Paul def. Rochester Anoka def. Winona St. Peter def. St. Cloud Moorhead def. Mankato Austin def. Hibbing Basketball Duluth def. Minneapolis Rochester def. St. Paul Winona def. Anoka St. Cloud def. St. Peter Mankato def. Moorhead Austin def. Hibbing

Sports
By Quinn Maetzold, St. Peter The NBA finals resumed Tuesday for game 3 when the San Antonio Spurs won a dominating victory against the Miami Heat, 113-77. Heat star LeBron James lost his presence and virtually disappeared from the score sheet, missing 11 of his 13 shots and contributing only two points by halftime. James draught opened up the floodgates for the Spurs, who got strong performances from Danny Green, Gary Neal and Tim Duncan. The Spurs now lead the series 2-1 with game 4 commencing Thursday night. By Robert Latvala, Minneapolis Tonight the Stanley Cup finals begin as the NHLs Boston Bruins take on the Chicago Blackhawks, in what will be a very even matchup. The last time these two teams played each other was on October 15, 2011, with Boston winning in a shootout, 3-2. The Blackhawks have moved on from beating out last years Stanley Cup recipient, the Los Angeles Kings, and the Bruins moved on from sweeping the Pittsburgh Penguins. Both sides are evenly matched as Boston is noted as having one of the best defenses in the NHL with superstars like Zdeno Chara, while the Blackhawks are noted as having one of the best offenses in the league with superstars like Jonathan Toews and Patrick Kane. Tonights game will be a true testament to the talent from both teams.

Boys State
Menus
Wednesday Dinner Herb roasted pork loin Au gratin potatoes Pizza burger w/seeded bun Cauliflower Assorted bars & cookies & pudding Thursday Breakfast
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Sausage links Tater Rounds Thursday Lunch Chicken tetrazzini Hamburger w/bun Baked beans Cantaloupe & watermelon Thursday Dinner 1/4-cut chicken Mashed potatoes w/gravy Corn Bratwurst w/bun Assorted bars & pudding

Belgian waffle sticks w/maple syrup Scrambled eggs w/cheese

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Lucky No. 7: Jordan Bothun Continues Family Tradition

By Cody Goodchild, Moorhead Weve all got that long-lasting family tradition. Whether it is between generations or between siblings, families can all find a common ground around some activity they all enjoy. Sometimes, however, that common ground is found in uncommon ways. Just ask Jordan Bothun (Dawson-Boyd High School), representing the city of Moorhead, whose familys common thread seems to be Boys State. Jordan is the seventh brother of the Bothun family to attend the exclusive program, preceded by his brothers Rick, 31, Ben, 29, Luke, 26, Jim, 24, Jake, 21, and Mike, 19. When asked how it feels to be the seventh member of such an illustrious Boys State family to attend, Jordan stated that hes having a great time learning about government and parliamentary procedure. Hes especially enjoying the people. The Bothun family was just as happy to have their seventh son attend. During our interview, I asked Jordan how his family feels regarding their sons outstanding continuation of achievements, and he laughed, saying: Yeah, my mom really likes sending us. Im honored to come. His parents, especially his mother, love their family tradition. His brothers warned him that the first two days might not be the funest, but that the week would unfold into an amazing experience. The Bothun tradition shows no sign of breaking yet, either. Jordan has a younger brother, Donny, 15, who

Jordan Bothun, a senior-to-be at Dawson-Boyd High School, is the seventh sibling in his family to attend Boys State. He is shown with Boys State Director Mike Bredeck, left, and Department of Minnesota Adjutant Randy Tesdahl. may be following in his brothers footsteps. Jordan will recommend that he do so. Its a good experience, he stated as his reasoning. It seems the dynasty that the Bothun family has become will continue to leave a lasting legacy on Boys State. As far as family traditions go, learning about the workings of our nation and meeting amazing people from across Minnesota isnt a bad way to find common ground. Culhane, continued from page 3 ship money you will earn. Students worry a lot about scholarships, and would feel better if they knew more about scholarship opportunities. Culhane said, The tuition at SMSU is about $15,000, which is not expensive. He truly encourages Boy Staters to pay attention to SMSU. The school has good programs, and in the most recent graduate survey (2011, 92 percent return rate), 99 percent of SMSU graduates are employed, and 95 percent are employed in their field of study. Students learn a lot at SMSU so that they can establish a strong fundamental base for their future development. Lastly, Culhane strongly encouraged students to visit campus. There will be a tour of the campus at about 3 p.m. on Thursday, if you wish to walk around. If you worry about your future college, take your time and check out SMSU. You may just fall in love with this beautiful university.

Boys State Snapshots

By Jed Rothstein, St. Paul Name: Sean Heaton Hometown: Maple Grove Boys State city: St. Paul Why I am attending Boys State: I want to learn all about government and build relationships with other Boys Staters Favorite movie: Star Wars Whats on my iPod: Harry Potter audiobooks Favorite school subject: Chemistry People would be surprised to know that I: Cant spell 6th-grade level words even though I took AP English Name: AJ Albaaj Hometown: East Grand Forks, Minn. Boys State city: Minneapolis Why I am attending Boys State: I like politics, and, to be honest, I have nothing better to do. Favorite movie: Anything with Emma Watson in it (shes his female crush) Whats on my iPod: Everything f rom orchestral to jazz to rap Favorite school subject: Math People would be surprised to know that I: Play pingpong moderately well.

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Planks, Platforms, Politics

Politics began in earnest Tuesday with city caucuses and county conventions. Clockwise from left: Winona Nationalists; Duluth Federalists;Rock County Nationalists; Cook County Federalists; Minneapolis Nationalists

Boys State Photos by Jim Tate and Emily Neperman

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Clockwise from top left: Boys Staters posed for a group photo with a trio of SMSU admission counselors; one of the signs that was made; Pink Pajama practice; Mankato Staters before their Tuesday morning exercise period.

Boys State Photos by Jim Tate and Emily Neperman