The Hetuck - 2024 - Volume 85, Issue 6 - Saturday

85, Issue 6

Saturday, June 15, 2024

Luck Leads the Way for Speaker of the House

By C.J Bateman

Speaker of the House of Representatives

Daniel Zakari of Estepp City won his position through multiple coin tosses, which many in the House dislike. Daniel’s luck throughout the election process was extraordinary, having won back to back random chances to win both his city party’s nomination and his final position.

Daniel spoke of his excitement and nervousness when he was first informed that a coin toss would be occurring, stating, “Once I had to do one I was excited that half the people voted for me, but I was also really nervous [because] one coin flip determines what I’m going to do for the week.”

Despite that this event worked in his favour, he spoke on the problems with this process, explaining his point of view on how, “if it comes down to half and half, we should do one more additional speech from each candidate to see why they deserve that position and try to win someone over, even if they only win one person over that's all they need.”

Many within the House agree with Zakari on the matter, finding it to be a fundamental problem within the election process such as House member Pierson Leonhardt of Dieringer City who said, “I don't believe that a coin toss is a good idea, definitely not as a first option.”

Even with these grievances, operations within the House have been running smoothly with a multitude of bills currently in circulation. House Representative Kelly Morgan of Dieringer City spoke specifically on Zakari’s contributions to the House, stating, “It’s a lot to handle, and he’s handling it quite well, along with his staff.”

With the large surplus of bills that regulated throughout the course of the week, many representatives took to favouring a select few.The littering bill gained the full support of Zakari in the hope that it would create a cleaner American Le-

Daniel Zakari, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, listening to a speaker during a Congress session.

gion Buckeye Boys State.

“The littering bill will have the most impact and be implemented the most at Boys State,” Zakara said, while also mentioning that the bill will include a $50 fine to any who commits an infraction.

Zakari gave great praise to the House and the work they accomplished throughout the week, expressing that a number of great bills were passed and that he was delighted to spend his week with all the other representatives.

Photo by: Max Shank

Cars and Delegates Clash in the Latest Court Case

By Ares Hunter

As delegates dive deeper into their jobs, a new challenge to conquer has risen: driving. With the American Legion Buckeye Boys State (ALBBS) State Highway Patrol officers being sworn in, road laws have swung into full effect.

Cities have also had to recognize this subject and implement some of their own organization of streets.

On Thursday, a court case was held involving Favreau City and Stockner City from Konold county. The judge in control was Caleb Pfammatter of Stockner City, defending Stockner was its own Lex McMahon, and the defense attorney for Favreau was Alexander Weiss, also from the city he’s representing.

The case was centered around a vehicular accident involving Camden Mooney and Alexander Weiss, both of Favreau City. Camden was driving along the border of the two cities when he took a turn, unaware of a yield sign that had been placed by the Stockner City engineer the day prior, and collided with Alexander.

Weiss claimed that the accident was due to reckless and endangering placement of the yield sign from the engineer for Stockner. The first argument from Favreau was the location of the sign,

saying it was placed on the floor which caused limited visibility.

They added that since the yield sign was placed after the turn, it was impossible to yield. Weiss said, “What we have is the yield sign being placed on the floor which is not very visible, resulting in the tragedy.”

On the defense’s side, McMahon asserted that Favreau illegally ran the yield sign and that the sign was not at fault, reasoning, “The sign was legal and everyone on the floor had seen it; therefore, it was clearly visible.”

Not long after the crash, Stockner removed the yield sign from the turn. When later questioned why they had decided to remove the sign, Stockner attorneys answered that it was because it caused an argument between the cities, and not because of the accident.

The verdict of the trial was that Stockner wasn’t liable for the accident, due to a technicality which ruled that Favreau cannot sue on behalf of the injured.

The trial was dismissed, leading to Stockner being not officially at fault for the accident. This case may set a precedent for future vehicular cases at ALBBS.

Cartoon by: Atticus Schultian

Reducing Emissions with Taxes

By Jacob Dougherty

While the government of American Legion Buckeye Boy State is still young, the legislature is hard at work creating and passing bills aimed to improve the quality of life for the delegates. One of those bills that has gathered a lot of support is the Carbon Tax Bill, an environmental bill aimed to reduce carbon emissions and curb the state’s contribution to the growing issue of climate change.

Senator RJ Santmire of Chapman City laid out the bill, saying, “It is a carbon emissions tax for the entire state…it entails that if a company pollutes the air then they would receive a tax also if they reduce their emissions they can receive tax breaks.”

Santmire explained why the Senate supports the bill, explaining, “The senate supports [the bill] because…conservation is a big motivator for the senate It aligns to a lot of values we all hold in the senate.”

However, a main concern with the bill is that it will raise the price of consumer goods. RJ responded to that issue, “That is a concern, but I think the pros outweigh the cons.”

Luke Miller of Schuck City voiced his agreement against the bill, saying, “I believe that cleaner air for everyone around us is overall better…I do believe that gasoline and other carbon producing products are essential but I do believe we should be looking for other ways to reduce [emissions] down to as low as possible.”

Miller believes the tax would help because it would directly provide an incentive for companies to look for alternatives to production that produce less carbon emissions.

Johnathen Drevon of Alberts City continues to oppose this bill. “I would not [support the carbon tax]. Because I feel [the tax] is unnecessary and we already revolve around carbon, gasoline, plastic. I can understand wanting to cut down on [carbon emissions] but adding a tax and making products’ prices go up a lot seems very unnecessary and it hurts the people,” Drevon said.

Many support the tax because of the posi-

tive impact it on the environment and the quality of life of citizens, others are hesitant as they think the financial burden of the bill on citizens makes the tax a non-effective way to combat climate change. Legislators seem confident it will pass, so if the bill goes into effect delegates will have to pay the price of a cleaner world.

Listen Up:

Allergies Surge as Air Quality Dives

By Cole Farbizo

On Thursday, there was a bad air quality alert at Miami University in Oxford Ohio, home of American Legion Buckeye Boys State. Poor air quality is a concern for overall health and safety, and has been specifically causing some bad allergies among the delegates.

Delegates have complained that their allergies are worse when spending time outside. Dominic Stewert of Chapman City states, “It's really hard to breathe…my nose is always stuffy, I'm sneezing a lot and my eyes keep watering”.

The Department of Health is aware of the situation and is taking steps to address the issue. They have been providing guidance to participants on how to manage their allergies during this time.

“We are aware of this issue, therefore, we will send out a PSA advising people to make sure they get their sleep and to try and stay inside to be cautious,” Director of The Department of Health Colin J. Morrison.

Additionally, the medical staff at the event is prepared to assist anyone experiencing severe allergic reactions. They have access to the necessary medications and treatments to help symptoms and ensure the well-being of all the delegates.

Medical staff encourages delegates to be mindful of their own allergies and take the necessary precautions.

Medical staff member Robin Jordan states, “If you have allergy meds please take them…everyday especially when it's bad like this…getting ahead of it is better then getting behind it.”

Jordan hopes this problem can serve as a reminder to stay safe and take care of themselves during this time of bad air quality and allergies.

Following in Father’s Footsteps: The Jordan Family

“Tradition”

By Dan Richmond

The American Legion prides itself on its focus on family values and legacy. One family that has been especially recognized for this is the Jordans.

Jeff Jordan, the American Legion Buckeye Boys State (ALBBS) band director, and his father Michael Jordan, the namesake for Jordan City, are the only fatherson duo to be inducted into the ALBBS Hall of Fame together.

Jeff Jordan's son, Chase Jordan, has been a wizard – younger staff who assist in the logistical administration of the program –for five years, and will be a delegate next year. J. Jordan has been a part of the ALBBS staff for 34 years and has been the band director for seven years.

mediate disputes and solve problems…It was a really fast ability to learn things.”

He came back as a counselor in 1991 and stayed as a counselor for 10 years, before the American Legion asked if he would become a consultant to the program. He has been in that position ever since.

by: Elliot Wall

Jeff Jordan and his son Chase work together in a father son interview. They are one of the only legionnaires with a son at Buckeye Boys State.

C. Jordan explained that his father has had an impact on his decision to keep coming back to ALBBS, saying, “Seeing the people that my dad has made friends with, I’ve learned that there is a very high caliber [of] people that come here.”

He continued, “It feels good to be a part of that group, and to be on staff feels like I’m the best of the best.”

J. Jordan was a delegate in 1989, when ALBBS was held at Bowling Green State University, and was a municipal court judge. He said, “I really got a great experience in learning how to

J. Jordan explained why he keeps coming back, saying, “After my fifth year as a counselor, we had dignitaries come in. One of the dignitaries that came in that year was Betty Montgomery, who was attorney general at the time…I had the opportunity to escort her from the courts section to the state government section.”

During the walk, he explained to her that he just graduated from OSU, and that he was unemployed. Montgomery told him to get in contact with Jim Petro, the auditor of Ohio at the time, and use her as a reference.

He had an interview a few days later, then got the job shortly after that. J. Jordan said, “I feel as if I owe it to all of you as delegates to potentially have those same opportunities happen to you.”

It is evident that legacy is paramount to this family, and that C. Jordan is following the footsteps of his father and grandfather. He hopes to attend ALBBS in 2025, where he would experience first hand the leadership program that his family has given so much to help build.

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