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Show Three Panguitch Girls Attend Girls State CEDAR CITY - Girls from s every region of the state gathered gath-ered at Southern Utah : University (SUU) last week June 3-8 for Utah Girls State, which offers training in political procedures and local and state government operations. ' Selected this year from Panguitch High School were junior girls Joyce Lee, Maggie Burrows and Brittney Nay. No junior boys made application to Boys State this year. Hundreds of young women who will start their senior year ; this fall at high schools across ; the state participated in the week-long event. SUU has hosted the event for sponsoring Utah American Legion Auxiliaries for some 30 years now. Participants apply for the '. honor of attending Girls State ; and are selected competitively ; from their high schools and communities by local auxiliary units. During the week on the SUU campus, the girls are divided into pseudo-political parties, counties, and cities in which they will create the government structure and citizenry of the state. The training is directed and supervised by a staff of adult leaders from the auxiliary. "The girls received a wonderful wonder-ful understanding of the processes of government and politics," Jane Comp, SUU's assistant director of conference services stated, "through the experiences of organizing party conventions, enacting legislation, legisla-tion, and carrying out judicial functions." Actual elected and appointed city, county and state officials will speak to the Girls State citizens. cit-izens. Question and answer sessions ses-sions following the presenta- , tions create a productive and revealing dialogue between the state's up-and-coming leaders and current government officials offi-cials in service. Comp adds that, "Patriotic, social and entertainment activities activi-ties are scheduled throughout the week. Some of the traditional tradi-tional highlights include a talent show produced and performed by the girls and, the election of national officers who will return next year to preside over activities." activi-ties." Renee Ballenger, SUU's director of news services, remembers attending Girls State when she was in high school and says, "I was delightfully surprised sur-prised at how much more the experience of Girls State offered me than what I originally expected or was aware of. I can site specific instances in my social and professional life since, in which I have implemented imple-mented the knowledge and personal per-sonal life skills I learned at Girls State. It's a very rewarding program." |
