Girls State Reflection

My week at the American Legion Auxiliary Department of Maryland Girls State program was an eye-opening occasion. I went to Girls State knowing little to nothing about the government in the state of Maryland. I had no interest in running for any type of government office. Girls State was originally just a place to get away from my parents for a week, but once I got there I realized it was so much more. The first day was not a full day because of registration but it felt like it because of all the sessions we were in and the elections for city government. In one of our first sessions the leaders went over the positions for city government and what each position does. My original plan was to not run for a single position but as the leaders went on I felt myself desiring to run for one. I decided to run for mayor based on my ability to take …show more content…
As the Mayor I had to design our city banner and slogan, come up with a skit, and get the city government together to write a bill. Even though there were extensive duties that came along with being the mayor, they did not stop me from being a good citizen and taking an active part in the other forms of government. The process of choosing our elected officials was most enjoyable. We listened to speeches that allowed us to assess our candidates and we asked questions to know whether our candidates could formulate well thought out and educated answers in a short amount of time. Girls State in general emphasized a learning experience in which the technique of thinking fast was implemented. In between all the sessions and activities there never seemed to be a time to sit down and formulate a well thought out speech. In running for a city government, for example, we were so busy discussing out city’s issues that as soon as the discussion was over it was time for the candidates to give their speeches. Even though the amount of time was very limited, it was a very enriching experience because the method of thinking