#nbs14

Since I’ve been a bit too busy this past year and hadn’t really much time to finish the full-length mega-tale of my delegate year at NBS 2014, I figured I might as well do a highlight reel of this or that which comes to mind, as I prepare to head back in 2015! (Wanted to keep this simple, having written most of it while on a road trip, but I apologize if anything’s a bit off since the dates/times are approx.) Enjoy~

Arrival

By about 7-8am of Sunday, we’d reached UNR. Us guys grabbed our bags, our caps, our waters, etc., then came off the charter bus to retrieve our luggage from below. Outside, the university shown brightly with its reddish bricks and older architecture. I was quite impressed, since UNLV felt almost entirely “modern”. Manno and I were separated pretty quick, since our first mission after retrieving our luggage was to find our room. Still, the air up in Reno was so much cooler than it had been in Vegas. Had my cap and whatnot, passed by many a Maverick wading through the quickly-increasing crowd on his way into the dorm building. Whereas our late-night meeting at the Area 51 rest stop had seemed so surreal and our first boarding at the Legion’s post so foreign, having finally set foot in Reno, I knew we were hitting the ground running.

After retrieving my D28N navy suitcase (having gotten it last Christmas), I too stepped off the grass and into the super crowd. Johnston passed by, in his NBS black counselor shirt. So fly. As usual, I snapped a few photos, then I too went up into the building, having heard that my city, Las Craigas, was on a higher floor. So I entered the dorm building, its lobby reminiscent of design I’d seen further east; made a left out of the lobby and towards a stairwell many more were ascending, and I followed the handwritten paper signs labeled by city.

By the third floor or so, I reached Las Craigas. Couldn’t believe we got an entire dorm floor to ourselves, but it looked pretty rad. Lower ceiling than I would’ve expected, but not an issue haha. Us dudes were crowding up by a registration table, where I believe Stephan Kim had been checking us in. Saw Nate Nyberg passing by; Zack Brill got moved into my city too! Nice to have the familiar faces. In time, I got my deposit paid, my nametag and shirt in-hand, and I could move through.

My room was at the hall’s end, so I needed some walking down. Other counselors were moving too and fro. Our rooms were two-person, with a small hall-type-thing linking two rooms as a unit. Beside my room was one where Vincent Pretto and Alex Wang would be moving in; with me, was a roommate Rei Vital, from Liberty. Plopping my suitcase on the desk and my sleeping bag over the bed, I quickly proceeded to swap out my Key Leader 2013 shirt for the NBS yellow. Rei had to leave the room, so he expected me not to be a thief. Haha, fun exchange we had there.

After getting set-up enough with my things, I headed out to explore the hall, where plenty of my fellow Las Craigas dudes were already meeting each other. I believe this is when Conor and our other tall guys assembled us across the hall for the party room. Got an apple and an apple-flavored pastry for breakfast!

Day 1 Adventures

Day 1 was packed with some many great times. As a city, we did a silent Human Knot to kick-off our first time bonding outside the politics -- really getting to feel each other as human beings, not just as competitors. We met some of the Legionnaires for the first time. It was a cheery moment, out on the UNR grass.

That first lunch, so many of us were freaking out about all the things we’d have to memorize for the morning. Daily Honors would be ours come Monday, and we had to know the Creed and so many songs. I thought back to the stress of APUSH, thinking how funny it was that I’d escaped one academic stress load and leaped into another. But Lipparelli was super chill about it, and he was the first counselor I really got to chat with.

That night, having become City Reporter, I went to the News Room rather than City time. That night, I won my first major election, for a position I hadn’t known existed prior to reaching NBS: Editor in Chief. Had a great team with me, even with my fellow Maverick Parker Johnson (who I’d never known was such a fantastic writer). Spent a huge amount of time with my Statesman news staff that week at Boys’ State. On staff, I look forward to whichever news team is coming in for 2015!

Mutually Assured Failure

One night, during one of our Las Craigas city meetings, Andrew Moschetti led us in a group discussion about our own failures in life. He related how, as we may had realized by that point in the week, a major aspect of Boys’ State is that you are made to fail. More often than not, one who tries often fails the most. I noted my own shortcomings, having lost just as many elections as I’d won here at NBS: the Nationalist Party Communications Committee Chair election, my bid as a Las Craigas Senator, and the election for Speaker of the Assembly. (Comparatively, I’d only three wins: Las Craigas City Reporter, Editor in Chief, and Assemblyman; though Editor in Chief had been the only one I had really run for.)

So going back to the failures, as a city, the ice-breaker for this evening was to go around and share a failure of our own (big or small). For Moschetti’s part, his failure had been in running for re-election in a position of his city in real life. From his perspective, the odds seemed so great: seemingly a dependable base; contending against a relatively unknown opponent. Yet, Moschetti lost that election. Sure it was a hit to the ego; but more than that, it was a reality check. And for me, I needed to hear that story. Because, while my Boys’ State failures had been relatively small and easy to trace back why I had failed (usually a lack of assertiveness or a lesser skill at representing my constituencies), I had a colossal loss just less than a month before attending Nevada Boys’ State: losing the appointment for Mentoring Chair of my Student Ambassador Program.

For some context, the Ambassador Program was absolutely huge for me back at A-TECH. My passion was so strong, I earned Ambassador of the Month in my very first month of being an ambassador. A month later, I was elected Junior Senator - the first election I’d ever won in my life. I spent the year on board, serving my fellow junior ambassadors as best I could. And though I’d lost the election for Vice President at the year’s end, I hadn’t worried. Because every past board (in recent history) had always appointed the junior senator to a community service chair, since they’d always lost their elections. Considering I had done so much to innovate and revamp the Freshman Mentoring Program, I figured I had to be a shoe-in for the position. But on the last day of school, when I’d come by the Ambassador Office for our departure for lunch, no one need tell me the verdict: I wasn’t chosen. After a terribly taxing few months before then [read more about that in my “End of AP” Chronicle], that decision crushed what little spirit I had left. For the weeks leading up to Boys’ State, that pain-complex continued to ruminate in my thoughts, and even months into Senior Year of high school, it persisted.

All things considered, it was a hard loss to comprehend. But despite the loss, Moschetti helped me understand that there are certainly so many more factors to elections/appointments than what may appear on the surface. It certainly didn’t make me an inferior person. But perhaps I had been in the wrong time. As I also realized as the NBS program had been going on, many of those Ambassador Officers who decided my lack of appointment had joined the opposing political party too -- Our politics themselves countered each other. How does a board lead when it too is divided? So my self-destroying thoughts relaxed. Can’t change the past. And there’s plenty more to worry about in the present. So time to make the best of it. Good talks.

Taking Risks

There was one day in which the theme was taking risks. Now, I believe this day had preceded the failures meeting. Or perhaps they were part of the same day. But for this group bonding activity with the City f Las Craigas, we all gathered together in the quiet, still darkness of UNR at a secluded space lodged between a tall dorm building and a tree. We stood in the grass, a little off from the pathway. Tonight, our mission was trust falls. These were not just any trust falls, ground-level, one guy catches another. No, these were trust falls from atop one of the light posts that sat beside the path (between chest- and waist-high). And the catchers were not one person but the entire city.

And so it was that evening, that we would share a risk we took. It could be big. It could be small. I believe Moschetti went first – or at least one of the counselors, so that we could see how the activity was done. Now, we really should have braced our arms together better, because when he fell into us, we barely caught him. (Oh, there were so many gasps of shock.) But thankfully, we did catch him, and we did catch everyone. So nobody in the City of Las Craigas face-planted.

That evening, I learned a whole lot about the men I worked with and the team I had been a part of, here at Boys’ State. We were not just some band of “Nevada’s Best”. We were human beings that had what might as well have been Atlas’s struggles. Because the risks most people shared were not simple risks – They were psychologically dangerous activities. And with the kind of brotherhood we had, the guys were willing to share. Leaving that gathering, I ad never elt so close to a group of boys that I would before had still called friends, many strangers.

For my own part, the risk I related was my running for A-TECH Student Body Historian. In an abridged way, I related how I had felt on a losing-streak, unsure of my own capabilities as a leader, and uncertain that I really had a chance. [There was a time Manno had asked if there were ever any Dark Times in my life. “Was it love, Daniel?” “In some ways, yes.”] So, without a single year of experience in Student Council but with Historian-experience simultaneously in three different clubs, I took a leap of faith. And I won. And that is when I felt into the arms of my fellow delegates, who, like me, resonated in that pride of knowing success could still come despite the demoralizing failures from before. I would rather not specify the exact words that my fellow Las Craigas delegates related, for sake of privacy concerns. But that night, I heard and felt the fear and the triumph from one who revealed to his devout parents that he was an atheist (and still they loved him), from one who had worked up the courage to ask a girl out (and still they are together), from one who tried to bring his friend closer to God (and the passion he related), and from one who risked suicide even – and lived. He especially had made me feel so, so proud to be a delegate (and later an Assemblyman) alongside him.

The End

So my camera died (and I mean, actually died) during the Closing Ceremony. As such, I’d just have to remember this last bit, because there was no way it’d be functional at NBS (darn lens error). So remember the event, I did. After the closing, Las Craigas headed outside the building to a place in the grass, somewhat damp from the morning dew. A cool enough morning. Moschetti led the distribution of our certificates.

It was a proud moment, out there in the fields. I thought back to the morning when the Nationalist Party Caucus was done outdoors – I had been with my City Reporters then, gather info from all the committees. (We were planning posters of a video I believe.) But, those days had passed. Today, this last morning of NBS, we celebrate our achievements, together. And though Moschetti told us we could have won Honor City with just one bill passed on Carson City Day, I felt proud to know we at least had a shot. Lipparelli challenged us to have another get-together before the year’s end. May it happen someday. I remember us ascending that stairwell on our way back to the dorms to collect our luggage for the bus just being so surrounded in the brotherly energy of our clan together. It was a great feeling.

Continued from Part V...!

NBS Begins: Opening Ceremony

We picked-up our items, and it was time to re-gather. The big event was set to begin. Following our counselors once more, we proceeded down the tree-shaded pathway to a new destination. As we entered another large plaza, we came upon the massive “Davidson Mathematics and Science Center.” Unlike the other reddish-brown brick buildings, this one had a more modern vibe to it: more metal, more “polish.” Inside was a huge auditorium-type room; this was wider, but still had the cushioned folding chairs with side-desks, the clear signs of a lecture hall.

As Las Craigas took our seats, I sat in the second Craigas row, on the far end of the right, next to Sean, the sociably confident Reno man. The city in orange sat ahead of us, the light green city across the aisle on our left. Across the aisle to our left sat the red city in front and the dark green city behind. I could see Kyle among the reds, Smitches and Taylor with the dark greens. The blue and brown cities arrived soon after. Looking at the projected display of the NBS logo, I became enthralled in the spacing between “Nevada” and “Boys’,” how it was perfectly balanced with the right side of Nevada. (Sorry, I’m a Graphics major, okay?) And so the ceremony began.

Our MC for the event was Craig Huntington, a strong-talking guy with an energetic voice. With him was Ryan Hamilton, as our lead counselors. Some special thank-yous went to Myers Paulsen, the man who got us here in the first place. During the Opening Ceremony, we were first introduced to the concept of Daily Honors. Tonight we had the chance to read the Boys’ State Creed from the projector, though they were clear we had to memorize it thereafter (already working on it). They also did a PoW-MIA presentation, in which counselors brought down a black and white flag, reverently placing it upon an empty chair. Here at Boys’ State, we recognized those are gone yet not forgotten. A very patriotic display.

So, the first lesson: “Who wants $20?” It was a simple question. A direct question. Out of seemingly nowhere, Craig revealed a $20 bill, holding it out for all to see. Was he for real? We were caught off-guard, certainly. Some people raised their hands, unsure of what was going on. Louder, more incitingly, Craig shouted again, “Who wants $20?” We weren’t getting the memo. Well, one guy did, at least. An orange guy in the front row, without asking for permission just got up, walked to Craig, and took the bill from his outstretched hand. The rest of us (most definitely me included) were dumbfounded. Did that guy just… take a $20 bill from that man’s hand? Well, turns out he did. That was our first lesson. At Boys’ State, we needed to smite any ounce of hesitation we held. If there was something we wanted, we needed only to go up and take it – just take it. It was already ours from the moment we thought of wanting it. All that stopped us was nothing. Nothing stopped us. Take the darn bill! And that is what we learned. That was a very important lesson for me. It also happened to be a metaphor for all of Boys’ State, and I just hadn’t realized it yet.

Beyond Daily Honors, we were introduced to the staffers who made NBS possible. Craig introduced us to the legionnaires, and the legionnaires introduced themselves to us. These were some very high-ranking men of their days. It was truly an honor to be graced by their patronage. My thoughts drifted to Patrick, my half-brother who counseled for Ohio Boys’ State, how it must have been over in the Midwest, or Johnston, how he must have experienced Boys’ State last year.

In contrast to the heavy formalities of Daily Honors and the legionnaire introductions, the counselor introductions were charmingly ironic. Each of those black-colored men (for whom there were many) was introduced with a very witty and somewhat hyperbolic intro. Oh, it was good. I was a bit surprised to hear Andrew introduced as “AJ,” but it made sense considering my own counselor was named Andrew (Moschetti).

Continued from Part IV...!

City Time: Honor & Respect

On the way out, I looked a bit closer at the area across the street – a church of some sort, with a row of high green hedges. Pretty neat. On the cafeteria side of the walk, we had more green shrubs contrasting the tall reddish-brown and white brick of the building. The sky was nice – very wispy clouds.

I followed Zack again, as our Craigas train rolled across the sidewalk, through the street, and now in a new direction: left. (Like I said, the counselors had a psychic map or something.) We walked up a hill, where there was a huge “University of Nevada, Reno” pedestrian route passing over the road. This reminded me of a walkway I’d seen in Indianapolis, once again making me feel such awe at the scale of things.

As we walked, we passed more large red-bricked buildings to our left and right. There was some sort of roped-off thing in the center of the road while we passed (so that eventually became a recurring sight). Some sort of academic life had been going on, too: youngish people were trekking the campus, doing collegiate things. Geez, I almost felt like we were on a tour of sorts – so displaced, yet within the environment all the same. We continued the path through a sort of alleyway, with a navy green tarp to our left (never questioned it once) and an outdoor stairwell on the building to our right.

Eventually we came upon a huge wide green area. Massive trees lined the paths that moved in and around the rectangular enclosure of grass. Oh, it was so great – certainly nothing the desert could pull off. It seriously felt like we were walking around the Midwest, not some part of Nevada. The counselors brought us past some other cities, doing a few ice-breakers, and then we were led to a bench.

We sat on and around the bench, facing the building, while our counselors gathered on the walkway, facing us and the grass. Moschetti led us in another word-using ice-breaker activity. Today’s theme, he explained was “Honor & Respect.” We were taught the importance of The American Legion, and how it is because of their generosity that we are here at Nevada Boys’ State. We were explained to treat the legionaries with the kindness and respect they deserved. Also, to talk to them; like the counselors, these people were eager to meet us and discover who we are. And as if on cue, a legionnaire trekked up the grass to us. Such warm smiles, those old men always had on.

  City Time: Human Knot

For our first ice-breaker activity, we were told to do Human Knot, and ice-breaker I had grown to become quite familiar with during my time with Key Club and Ambassadors – certainly an old favorite of mine. To begin, we first set-down all our belongings (most people with their delegate manuals). Then we gathered in a circle, closed our eyes, and reached out for some hands. There were two rules: do not grab the hand of the person adjacent to you, and do not speak.

As with most knots, I took a backseat. We were a team of leaders – not all needed to lead. Others in the main cluster got to work. I feel like Houston and Milen and Cruz were among those take-charge people. For my part, I was tugged and pulled every so often. I’d occasionally mouth a, “Shhhhhh,” as people tried to say some words to each other. The counselors watched as we went about our business. When the men needed a guy down, I’d usually take a knee. I gestured for people to step around others from time to time, but I mainly kept quiet, as far as my motions went – besides, the counselors said it themselves: sometimes leaders need to know when to lead and when to let others lead.

In time, one section of the clump grew unraveled, while mine was relatively stationary. At the time, I’d been kneeling, with my head low and my body directed away from the bunch. The grass had such a nice feeling to it: damp, but not wet. After a brief pause, my side started to move again. A chain of untangling ensued, and my group because slipping and sliding in and around ‘til we’d been freed – sort of. As it happened, my group had actually be a second, slightly smaller chain interlocked with the larger circle. Anyway, we were untangled, Moschetti congratulated us, and had us unlink. He mentioned having never seen something quite like it before.

After that, he had us gather into a second circle. Eyes closed, arms out, we reformed the human knot. This time, however, we could speak. Almost instantaneously, half the guys spoke up with suggestions. Arms were getting pulled back and forth, but it’s tough to say much actually happened. I decided to keep quiet again, this time just to keep the noise to a minimum. After a pretty good-looking further entanglement, Moschetti called-off the operation early. Sometimes we hadn’t all needed to speak. Sometimes we needed to listen to those around us first – weigh their opinions. He said he could easily decode the way out from where he was standing outside the circle; the challenge was for us to do the same. Yet we would get better in time, as we begin to learn each other.

Continued from Part III...!

Las Craigas Shout’n “Timber!”

And so, with mixed enthusiasm and, confusion, and straight-forwardness, the boys got to work. As we rose to the hall, I seized the opportunity to snap a few quick photos. Already, boys were getting to work. Truly, I was amazed. I hadn’t expected people to take charge so readily and effectively, but I soon realized that had been the point of the exercise. While we were planning, the counselors seemed to be wrapping up some info on their digital records. (Earlier in the day, delegates had been shuffled around, like Zack here.)

From what I recollect, Andrew Cruz and Houston were on the forefront of the operation. Our Javiers announced they could record, and the guys went on to planning the film. I feared the “Meyer for Mayor” campaign was in jeopardy. Yet with barely a moment of thought, the boys came up with our plan. The premise was simple: a growing cluster of dancing dudes, as our camera pans through the dorm hall. It sort of reminded me of a forest, since I interpret the song “Timber” as literally a bunch of lumberjacks in a huge forest… I don’t believe that is actually what the song is about, but this is how I rationalize.

Since the dorm entry doors are indented, guys grouped-up and took their places throughout the hall. I, having my cap reversed all gangster-style, was with Zack, at one of the first indents nearest the hall’s entry door. Nate was in the indent after ours. Connor, further down the hall, used the ol’ shirtless technique. Rei was quick to point out is a very ripped guy. We did a first run to see if the plan would work. In my crazy leaping, I dropped my NBS cash (which I’d conveniently forgot was in my nametag still) and later my phone case. Luckily both times, kind folks like Paul picked up my things for me to quickly secure in my shorts’ zippers. The group moved further down the hall, where we planned how to finish. There were a few ideas pitched, but we it would be some form of more rave dancing. I wondered if we’d be editing this video or whether it would just be a one-shot. No time left for thinking – show time!

And so it began. From our indent, Zack and I could hear the country music on Moreno’s phone resound, “It’s go’n down – I’m yell’n timberrrr!” Clark Key Club’s Cruz stepped in like a gangster on the lip-sync with Sean closing in. The duo were a riot. As the group passed the first indent, another crowd of guys stepped in with their own dance moves. Zack and I were next. When the crowd passed, I popped a pep in my step, fist-pumping and hopping all-out. We continued down the hall. More and more crowds joined in – oh, ya had to have been there! Connor leaping in only escalated the mayhem.

As we passed through the doorway to the stairwell exit, all kinds of crazy broke loose. The cameramen paused at the back, as we all filtered into the tiled room. As the way “ganster” music videos show clusters gather around central dances, we crowded around Cruz and Cronan. From twerking to scuba-dancing, they pulled out all the stops. I even did a classic Key Club pelvic thrust mixed with a sprinkler. Oh, it was a sight to behold. A tall guy with dark hair (I’d later know to be Milen) did boggling box moves with his arms.

After each spotlight moves, we stepped below, into a slightly lower level than the main dance floor. This allowed others to filter into their five seconds of fame, while we got a breather from the action. When we were all through, it was time for the reverse! The cameramen backed-up through the hallway again, while we all flowed back into view. I think Nate was near the front of this one. Anyway, we all spent the last few seconds of footage raving our way back from whence we had come. When the song came to a close, the footage was cut, and we all shouted hurrahs. Moschetti said we were great, and it was time for us to get some lunch.

  Venturing Beyond the Dorms

Before we left, we first had to gather together again. Pretty sure this was when I formally met Sean, though I suppose that could have been later. We shook hands, and he seemed to be a very formal, yet very approachable dude. A Reno guy, hence why we hadn’t met before. For this city gathering, we were being assigned our first numbers. I became #12, with Zack as #11 and Rei as #13. There were twenty-one of us in total. Not too shabby. We did a roll call of fast number-calling. Moschetti was pretty clear we needed to remember these numbers. He also told people to grab their delegate manuals, since we still needed to practice the Boys’ State Creed for Daily Honors. I grabbed and folded a few sheets of paper from my school binder for writing on – I figured I’d have to copy the creed from someone, anyway.

“Single-file, people!” We could have been in grade-school. But to be fair, single-file is a very effective strategy to literally keep people in-line. So, out we went into the summer Reno air. Unlike Vegas, in which our skin would be boiling off our limbs in noon sunlight, we were actually doing quite alright. The clouds were nice. During the first walk, I knew not exactly where our destination would be. Our train of yellow followed the all-knowing counselors in black, as we followed a sidewalk towards what appeared to be more red-bricked sections of the campus. It was all very exciting stuff, considering UNR was all very new to me. The design somewhat reminded me of Bloomington back in Indiana, what with the bricks and white windows.

Taking a photo of the guys behind me, Rei, Garett, and Sean were having a ball. You could say none of us had really been “broken-into” Boys’ State yet. We were all still very-much different guys with different backgrounds and goals. The only things were really had in-common at this point were our gender, grade level, and Nevada-citizenship – oh, and we’re all the very best. Quite important, that last one.

As we crossed the street, it became clear the tall building on the corner seemed to be our mythic counselors’ target. I felt as though we were in an island within yet outside society. Seeing people who weren’t with Boys’ State felt odd, as if regular day-to-day activities were going on beyond our simulated space – so weird! During this walk, like many, the counselors acted as though they were guided by some ethereal schedule, as they led us from place to place. But, as delegates, it was our duty to follow. We would learn more in due time.

Continued from Part II...!

Las Craigas Assembled

After a while, the boys of Las Craigas were called being into the hallway. I saw all sorts of the boys who were also of the city, though I knew few names at the time. Houston stood out as a leader-type. Apparently he’d be going for mayor, too. I worried about Meyer’s chances. Once a good handful of us had arrived in the hall, the counselors had us go to an unoccupied room by the entrance. In it, there was a sink, a cabinet, and a bed. Largely, the room was open, and thus, we delegates crowded in. Some sat on the bed, I sat on the room’s right side (from the door), with my back to a wall. Our Las Craigas yellow shirts (well, orangish-yellow) contrasted the white walls of the room. For whatever reason, Javier had a green shirt, but the counselors said he’d get a yellow one soon.

“Andrew Moschetti” introduced himself and his fellow counselors. Finally, I saw the face behind the emails! Besides him, we had Stephan, Stefan, and Ryan. Ryan explained how he’d have to leave for work on some days (couldn’t get leave), but he assured us he cares just as much about NBS as our other guys. Since we had two “Stephan’s” for whatever reason, Moschetti said we would get to choose who gets to keep his name: there can be only one! The guys laughed, though our counselors were serious. I’m pretty sure Stefan was the guy who signed me in, earlier at check-in.

For counselor introductions, they gave their years of being back at Boys’ State. I may be a bit off, but I think Andrew had fourteen, Stephan [Kim] had four, Ryan had three (though he took last year off), and Stefan had actually been a delegate just last year! I was amazed by the diversity of the years (far more than Key Leader had), yet I definitely had begun to realize why these guys were saying NBS would be an incredible experience. For a one-time experience, the counselors made clear this would change our lives. For some reason, I still had that whimsical Hogwarts-y image of Boys’ State still going in my head.

For delegate introductions, we went around the room discussing expectations and words to describe the group of boys we were. People said all sorts of words such as friendly, ambitious, amiable. After we said our words, we were told to recall the word of the guy to our left, while evaluating how we felt about it. As people went around the room for a second time, I grew worried, since I wasn’t sure I remembered the word correctly. As it happens, Eddie (the guy next to me) said “amiable,” though I just pronounced it wrong. (I had it spelled correctly in my head, okay?) Apparently Las Craigas had a second Javier, too! So that was our first ice-breaker. Counselors Moschetti and Kim made clear that after we had elected our mayor, they would take a step back and let us lead ourselves. Until then, the counselors would guide us.

Beyond the ice-breaker, we were informed that luck had totally been on our side: we would be the first city to do “Daily Honors,” along with another city. I remembered the gist of Daily Honors from what I had read in the delegate manual, yet I hadn’t taken it so seriously. The counselors, however, were quite serious: Daily Honors are a huge deal, and we would need to have the Boys’ State Creed completely memorized by tomorrow morning. Turns out we were supposed to have printed our delegate manuals (though the manuals never mentioned that). For any of us who didn’t have a manual, the counselors were very stern about this not being a very good way to start-off our week. (Hey! Not my fault!) As I later found, the manuals had been handed out at Orientation, being the only important info besides, “Boys’ State will be fun!” that was expressed at Orientation. Dandy.

Oh, and our city leadership would be elected tonight. Before all that would happen, we still had an opening assembly to attend, our first day of Athletics, and some meals to eat. ‘til then, it was time we broke into our first activity as a city. The task: film a music video for the song “Timber” before we dismissed for lunch. (There was another song option, though I fear the choice was Bieber.)

Continued from Part I...!

Exploring the Dorms

At the doorway, I noticed how an empty metal trashcan had been propped to keep the door open. Quite convenient, indeed. As I entered the dorm, I found a sort of hall-within-a-hall. On the left, there split off a door to some guys named Vincent and Alex. I almost immediately thought of an Alex I knew in my childhood back in Indiana and a Vincent I had met in Key Club. At the dorm-hall’s end, I found a door labeled for “Rei Vital” and “Daniel Lang.” I noticed our names were written a bit smaller and less “loud” than Alex’s and Vincent’s, but the comment was little more than small talk.

For my room, as with the others, there were two beds along the walls to the sides of the room. On the far end, there were two desks with two chairs, placed upon the beds. A large window stood opposite of the main door, giving a really nice view of some other building across the street – probably some other part of the campus, though I knew not. There were no sheets on the beds, hence why were we instructed to bring our own (or in my case, a sleeping bag). As soon as I stepped in, I placed my bags down and set everything on and alongside my desk.

Rei showed up right around the time I did. To my joy, he really was the Nerdfighter “penny-guy” I’d noticed when I first skimmed the Legislation list. Funny how the guy I’d been interested to meet turned out to be my roommate. During our first encounter, we focused on getting our belongings laid out. Our chairs were a bit annoying to get under our desks, since the space between the beds and the desks were quite thin, but we got them together.

Turns out Rei was from Liberty, so he knew Rionna and Natsuda (some girls I met back at Key Leader, and other Key Club events throughout the year). Neat connections, there. I forgot Natsuda already graduated, which once again kept giving me new perspective on what it is like to be a Senior. As Rei laid out his items on his bed and desk, told me he intended to trust that I was not a thief. I couldn’t tell if he was being sarcastic or not, but I decided not to ask. Besides, it seemed kindda fun to be accused as a thief on no precedent of my own! Selfies of me in the room!

With my sleeping bag rolled out and my bags stacked in a pretty good spot, I swapped my Key Leader shirt for the Las Craigas shirt, then went downstairs for breakfast. Turns out Zack would be joining the City of Las Craigas, too! (And so, I was joined by Nate and Zack, of my fellow Mavericks.) In the lobby, the counselors were opening some tasty looking options: big fruit and some pastries. Though the blueberry muffins were indeed very tantalizing, I opted for a big red apple and some of an apple Danish pastry. All very flavorful, very delectable things. I wrapped what I wasn’t immediately consuming into a napkin on my way back to Las Craigas. That lobby was getting crowded, fast!

When I returned to my room, Rei decided we should do some exploring. As I swung by the rooms, I noticed Vincent (Alex’s roommate) had arrived, though he seemed to be sleeping on his bed. I think Rei and I commented how odd that was to be sleeping when we just arrived. (I remembered Andrew’s words that if I was getting more than two hours of sleep, I was doing it wrong.)

Coming across the hall, Rei and I went to Garret’s room. “Meyer for Mayor” was his slogan, while I replied I’d be going for City Reporter. Rei christened Garret’s room, the “Party Room” almost immediately. In this room, one bed was higher than the other (for whatever reason). The window had an awesome view of a tree. Along with Rei, Garret, and I, Alex (from the room near mine) also joined us. Garret hadn’t gotten a roommate yet, and we wondered if he would have one. We didn’t have to wait long – Connor arrived, as the roommate. And thus, our earliest friendships had begun. No one knew quite how the week would play out; we were just sitting on the beds and socializing. Rei commented how he wished someone had a deck of cards.

2014 Nevada Boys’ State! (NBS14, for short.) Some of you may have heard of Boys’ State. To others, this could be entirely news to you. Either way, you’re gonna find out what’s up. I was a delegate from June 22, 2014 to June 28, 2014 in the proud city of Las Craigas. We experienced the life-changing world of mock politics, building new and powerful friendships to come. Enough build-up! My tale begins, now!

Continued from “NBS14 Prologue: The Journey…!”

Arrival at UNR: Finding My Way

We seemed to have pulled into an area pretty similar to hotel’s main entrance (what with the awning-looking thing nearby). The building itself was made of reddish-brown bricks, with a design that seemed far more “collegiate” than CSN and UNLV, back in Vegas. Basically, this building fit my mind’s schema of what a college looked like. With the bus stopped, dudes were buzzing with activity. With little time spent idling, the guys in the rows ahead swiftly pulled out their bags from the storage area above, then trekked down the aisle and out the door.

Since most guys were already off the bus (save a few), I spent little time waiting to reclaim my suitcase and sleeping bag from below. After getting my goods, I joined the others clumped on the rocks beyond the sidewalk. The experience reminded me of Key Club’s 2012 Region Training Conference at Cimarron, in which many of us stood on the rocks amidst the confusion of passing out t-shirts and IDs. Difference was now I was with Nevada’s best in the Class of 2015, rather than a collection of Maverick Key Clubbers.

Looking back the direction the bus had come, I had a pretty great view of the more urban areas of Reno. I wouldn’t say Reno had its own Strip, but it had a clump of larger buildings not too far away. And oh my gosh, the trees. Reno has trees and grass, that needn’t be artificially kept. The climate was certainly nicer, too. A bit cooler, a bit more humid than Vegas – very much reminded me of the Midwest. I almost could have worn my jacket, but it wasn’t that cool. I wanted to relish in the kind climate. Besides, I still had my Key Leader 2013 shirt over my athletic shirt, so I was fairly insulated already.

In the colorful sea of boys, I found some of my Maverick friends, like Brett, Noah, Zack, Kyle, and Matt. As I moved further into the crowd, I found Andrew Johnston, in his counselor attire, working with a guy I’d later learn was Clark. AJ seemed pretty chipper. The counselors, clad in black polo shirts, held forms and were directing people to enter the building and find their cities. Above the masses, on a blue and orange banner read “Nevada Boys’ State.” We were indeed at the right place.

Since it seemed to be what everyone else was doing, I inquired about my room. A guy said I was in Osgood(?), then directed me to go inside, turn left, and head up the stairs. Since I knew I was in Las Craigas, I figured he must have been talking to someone else. I got the message we could go on in, though. With my sleeping bag neatly stacked upon my suitcase and my laptop bag swung over my shoulder, I made my ascension up the main stairs and into the building. In the lobby, some people were here and there. There were talks of breakfast being served, though I was more focused on finding my room.

  Welcome to Las Craigas

To my left, there was an elevated door which pretty clearly seemed to lead to dorms. Going in, I hadn’t expected the cities to be hallways, but I smoothly accepted it. After all, everything else was new to me, what was new? I was a bit confused, but some hand-drawn signs directed me to rise up the staircase on the left to get to Las Craigas. The staircase was blocky, though largely white. The shape reminded me of the staircases of a college we used to take art lessons in back at Bedford, Indiana. (Those stairwells hadn’t had windows or much light, however, since we’d always come after-hours; here are UNR, everything was quite well-lit.)

Up a flight of stairs, I found the doorway to Las Craigas’s hall. Some other guys had already started lining-up. Apparently there was a sort of check-in system going-on once delegates stepped into the hall. On the propped-open door, there read a sign, “Nothing is impossible to those who shall TRY” – Alexander the Great. Neat encouragement. I was pretty glad to see my bus friend Javier would be joining me in this city. (All my other bus friends seemed to be assigned elsewhere.) As I waited for my turn to be signed-in, Nate appeared. I’d been waiting for him to show, since I remembered he’d be with me in my city.

In due time, it was my turn to check-in. The process was pretty seamless. While I waited for the guy before me, I’d already found my nametag, already loaded with some colored NBS dollars. I paid my $3 of stamp money, the $60 supply fee, and received my all-important room key to attach to my keychain. (Thank goodness I’d read that Packing List online.) The nametags reminded me of those we’d had at Key Leader, though these were tied with shoestring – quite a bright idea, considering how easier aglets are to tie and hold together. I was also pretty surprised how young the counselors were. I dunno, I guess I was expecting more middle-aged people, rather than guys in their 20’s – seriously, some of these people looked like they were still in college!

After the smooth sign-in process, I went around the table they had set-up, and I grabbed my own Las Craigas shirt (Medium). It was bright yellow, a new color for my wardrobe – neat! I was told my room would be at the end of the hall, with uh, a letter and a number. [Sorry, I don’t quite remember what it was at this point!] Anywho, I trekked down the yellow hall, and I soon enough found the gateway to my dorm on the left-side, furthest section down. On the walk, I noticed how the hall still sort-of had that “mind’s eye” assumption about how the quarters would feel – very “together.” In fact, I was a bit surprised how quickly guys in my city seemed to be bonding. Just as quickly, I remembered we were all here together, united, so we were gonna have to get to know each other sooner or later. Pretty exciting stuff!

Continued from Part IV...!

Bus Stop: Area 51 Alien Center

I slept barely 15min. Wow, I was groggy when I awoke. Our first stop was a place called “Area 51 Alien Center, around 1:40am. I assumed it must be somewhere around Area 51. Unlike the Key Club journeys, where we had no time to get out, the counselors were quite comfortable with everyone getting up and exploring. Quite soon after we stepped off the bus, I saw the masses gravitating towards a bright area not too far away. It was the sort of refueling station large trucks used. It reminded me of the time back in the summer of 2008 when we were moving from Indiana to Las Vegas. It also reminded me of an alien abduction, considering everyone just flowed to a central conglomeration. A counselor gave a brief greeting, then told us we had about half an hour before we had to get back on the bus. Pretty cool. Into the gift shop, we went!

Quite a few guys were already lining up to buy things, use the restroom, etc. I figured I might as well use it here, rather than wait later. In the meantime, I saw one of those photo-standing-things with aliens, so I stood with one to get my picture taken by Dezmond. Pretty neat-o. In time, we realized our man-numbers far surpassed the zero women up at 2am trying to use a women’s restroom out in the middle of nowhere, so some guys opted for the other side. All fine and dandy.

Once I was free from my business, I regrouped with Manno and Kyle, as we browsed through the items. Strange alien-themed cups and hands and novelties. These were the pretty cliché extraterrestrial oval-headed kinds. We joked about buying some, though we largely declined. Still, many dudes were lining up to buy other goods, like candy bars. We briefly stood in line with one of the legionnaires, and we shared a little about why we were here and so on. I feel that Kyle spoke the most. (I hadn’t taken many photos, so I cannot say for certain some of these details.)

Before long, it was time for us to return to the buses. [Looking back at my photos, I realize I had seen some of my fellow Craiginites, though I just hadn’t met them yet.] During the next block of time from 2-5am, I drifted in and out of sleep. Sleeping on a bus is not a particularly difficult thing for me to do, though I was occasionally awoke here and there. (Javier and Manno can vouch for this.) Really, I had no inclination to do anything when I awoke (especially considering how dark the bus was), so I simply returned to slumber after each awakening.

  The Morning: Last Leg to Reno

By 5am, the sun had risen, and photos could be taken again. We made our way into some town that also had an American Legion Post. (I never got the name.) By 6am, the bus had stopped again, this time at a McDonald’s for our breakfast. Since the counselors announced there we snacks on the bus, I decided to stick with the snacks rather than purchase anything. The snacks were store in these large bucket-bins in the front of the bus’s seats. Some people crossed over to the convenience store on the other side of the road.

I briefly followed the guys inside the McDonald’s to use the restroom, but beyond that, I did not stay. Continuing the power of our man-numbers, someone actually had to check that the ladies’ room was clear before a lady went into it. Anywho, back on the outside, I quickly found some of my Maverick friends gathered around a bench: Matt, Kyle, Zack, Parker, and Michael. It was nice to see some familiar faces, considering how many Hyde Park alumni the bus had. Talks were generally about A-TECH: teachers, classes, etc. For the most part, we felt like a gathering of Mavericks on a camping trip.

By 6:30am, we were ready to hit the road once more. On the way back onto the bus, I nabbed a few snacks: a granola bar, some more crackers. Pretty good stuff. Matt and Kyle decided to swap seats, thus leaving my back-of-the-bus group to be Javier, Kyle, Dezmond, and I. While Kyle decided to get some much-needed sleep, I opted to stay awake for most of the ride that remained. I went back to reading The Mark of Athena, now that I had the daylight.

Within twenty minutes of being back on the road, we began to pass by a huge lake. I did not often take out my camera during the remaining ride, though this was an exception. The scenery reminded me of my family’s summer 2013 road trip through New Mexico and Arizona, among other places. At this point in our bus journey, we had certainly left the desert. Regarding the lake, the water seemed particularly blue – bluer than most lake water. Perhaps it was the contrast between the water and the gritty hills of rock surrounding the pool. I know not for certain, nor do I know what lake we had passed.

An hour later now about 8am, the scenery had become something reminiscent of the Midwest: trees occasionally to the side of the road, and occasional small lil’ house, wide green expanses out as far as the eye could see. The terrain also seemed mountainous, like the Rockies of Colorado (though I suppose Nevada has Rockies, too): small, crisp streams ran alongside the road, homes were bunched together in clumps between the hills. We even passed a train!

Right around 9am, the terrain changed for a final time. Out of the country/suburbs, there sprouted larger buildings, of the more urban variety. Yes, this was the city of Reno, Nevada. In a way that reminded me of Indianapolis, we gradually weaved our way into the streets of Reno. The journey was coming to a close… yet the true adventure had only just begun.

The bus was filled with the joyful roars of my fellow boys, as we knew we neared our place. Next stop: UNR.