Volume 81, Issue 2
The Primaries:
The First Stride In A Race To The Finish Paul Paciorek & Elijah Schmit, Reporters
The primary elections are the first stride of the electoral race. Although sometimes underappreciated, the primaries help give the average citizen a first impression of the candidates that they will be voting for in the future. When asked about his thoughts on the rally beforehand, Schnug city resident Charlie Kortovich said “I’m excited to see the people I’ll be voting for, or against, and seeing their ideals.” This is the time for many different candidates to project their best qualities for the general audience to see. When asked about the best quality in a candidate, Kortovich said, “Somebody that can speak freely, not have any people weighing them down on what their ideals are.” It is important for citizens to pay attention to the smaller parts of government like primary elections. Those who take an active role in their political communities will benefit from it. The political process can be compared to a sports tournament, with the office being the trophy, and it helps to watch the opening games so that you know what’s going on when the finals roll around. It also helps the candidates get their names out there, which is a very important part of the campaigning process. When asked about strategies one should use when running for office, Nationalist Governor candidate Isaiah Wasserbeck said, “One of the biggest things is just getting your name out there. If they hear your name, they can remember that name and they’re going to think about that.”
Tuesday, June 15, 2021 Once the rally started, candidates from the Federalist and Nationalist parties took the stage to make their respective cases for election. Every candidate did their best to try and gain the favor of their fellow citizens. Many were able to make a strong case for candidacy that may have swayed some voters in their favor. Nationalist Governor candidate, Siddhartha Paruchuri, was interviewed and asked about his expectations for the campaign road ahead. His response to this question reflected on his performance at the rally, stating, “My expectations? I would have to say that I expect to get better at speeches and I expect to get more support.” He was also asked how optimistic he was about the race. He was quoted saying, “There’s still more campaign left. Today isn’t everything.” These primaries are a vital piece of the electoral system and the rallies that prePictured (above and cede them play a crucial below), students part in determining who in line to will win it all. May all the waiting cast their votes candidates have the best of luck, and may democracy persevere and fairly determine the leaders of our society. Picture credits: Gavin Kelly
2 The Hetuck
Gerrymandering a Hot Topic at Debate Saijayshuk Pandrangi, Reporter
As we roll further into the Boys State week, we start seeing the consequential results of all the candidates who campaigned for public office here in the Boys State government. As nearly 600 delegates gathered within Millet Arena, they prepared themselves to experience a once in a lifetime debate that featured a canvas of state candidates. The main event was between governor candidates Samuel Miller (Nationalist) and Cael Saxton (Federalist). Starting off with Miller, he took a platform that revolved around a “Everybody love everybody” motto trying to display a message of peace to bridge a divide that has been apparent in American society. Quoting his inspirations, Miller utilized such to create relationships with each and every citizen here in an attempt to secure his position as governor. While his counterpart, Saxton, who arrived ten minutes later than anticipated by the American Legion, took a platform on developing deep relationships with others through conversation and input. Wanting to re-establish a new political angle here in BBS, he cited a piece of work called Freakonomics to request that citizens think in different perspectives to better answer and solve issues we have in our divided country today, regardless of political affiliation. Digressing through the introduction and debate between other state candidates, the moderators finally addressed the governor hopefuls to ask them hard hitting questions about tough topics. Both candidates offered solid answers to the first two questions. They were well informed prior to the debate; however, as the Hetuck staff progressed to the next 2 questions, the candidate’s answers seemed to be all over the place. Both candidates were asked a question about the need for the public to assess the redrawing of district lines in Ohio, with both having heavily contrasting stances. Miller started off by explaining that redrawing of the district lines should be coinciding with public opinion on it and stating that such public opinion can stop gerrymandering from occurring. He also explicitly said that gerrymandering was a racially targeted tool to minimize the impact of minorities, and claimed he would try his best to let the public voice their desires in the re-drawing to promote equality. In contrast, Saxton implied that Miller’s view on the situation of gerrymandering was flawed as the constitution states that the House is responsible and not directly through the people. Saxton also implied that since racial Gerrymandering is illegal, it does not exist, which caused uproar between delegates after the debate. He also voiced, with a hint of sarcasm, about how these “imaginary lines” that are district lines are dividing up Ohio and should not be heavily focused on by the public as Congress voices Cartoon drawing by: Adam Boogaard the people’s views and should be trusted.
The Hetuck 3
Defeated Candidates Seek Banking Backup Isaac Jones, Reporter
Reporter
The room had a steady flow of people. Meandering around were first ten, then twenty, and soon forty delegates all with aspirations to be a banker at Boys State. At first glance, it would seem like an oddity, but after election losses and a scramble to secure appointments, the job of banker doesn’t sound so terrible to some. The test was simple: multiple-choice questions, few enough so that every candidate could finish within ten minutes of receiving it. No math was involved, rather it was a miscellanea of banking general knowledge and history. The Legionnaire who ran the show said that it was a “packed house,” and to twenty-eight delegates' dismay, only twelve would be elected. Every chair was full and the candidates waited with varying degrees of anticipation and anxiety. One delegate interviewed referred to the test as “kind of difficult.” When asked if he studied his answer was yes, but not to a great extent. The key to passing, he said, was “studying liabilities and assets and how that works.” Honestly, he was hoping he made it in but wasn’t too worried as the job fair was mere hours away. Unfortunately for him, this delegate did not make it and was forced to attend the job fair.
Millett Hall: A History Patrick Burse, Reporter
Millett Hall is the indoor stadium in which a number of events are held during the week of Buckeye Boys State. It was built for Miami University in 1968. Breaking ground in 1966, the nearly three year, $7.5 million ($55.8 million c. 2020) project was completed and opened its doors to the public on December 2, 1968. Named after the 16th president of Miami University, the first chancellor of the Ohio Board Of Regents, and former Vice President of the Academy for Educational Development, John D. Millett, the stadium holds a number of different events. The stadium has a capacity of 9,200 and is home to the Miami RedHawks men’s and
After the tests were taken and the dust had settled, twelve bankers remained. Among them was charismatic soon-to-be-president, Om Patel. After the test, Patel described it as “pretty hard,” however he found his greatest strengths were accounting classes he’d taken including micro- and macroeconomics. When he stood he garnered attention, and all eyes were on him as he detailed his qualifications. He was a gifted and affluent speaker, and that won him the presidency. The Secretary/Treasurer is Hudson Misel and the Vice President is Brent Baumgart-
ner.
(Right) Students searching for jobs at the job fair
Photo credits: Gavin Kelly women’s basketball teams as well as their volleyball team. Banners recognizing team championship appearances, wins, and retired jerseys from multiple sports decorate the halls of Millett. Aside from sporting events and hosting the American Legion Buckeye Boys State since 2017, the hall holds campus events, meetings, and has hosted a number of other events and speakers. The stadium holds commencement exercises and held the university’s bicentennial ball in 2009. Millett has also been host to an impressive 40+ well known entertainers, artists, and bands. Some of these celebrities include Elton John, Ray Charles, Fleetwood Mac, and Simon and Garfunkel.
4 The Hetuck
How the Rise of Fascism Created a Renowned Program
William Tannitell, Reporter
Picture credits: Gavin Kelly
The American Legion Boys State program is a program that is famous for its ability to teach young men to lead and to preserve democracy. Boys State has a history for each and every state, but Boys State was first born in Illinois in 1935. To understand why Boys State was born, one would have to understand what was going on in the nation and the world at the time. In 1918, with the world still recovering from the impact of World War I, fascism was on the rise. Extremist groups like the Ku Klux Klan and the Nazi party were gaining traction due to the war’s side effects. These fascist groups were fed by poverty, the rise of fascism in Europe, and the fear of the spread of communism. To counter the spread of fascism, the Illinois American Legion set up a program known as Boys State. The goal of Boys State was to instill a sense of patriotism in the youth and to bear democracy to the current and future generations. As the years passed, the program grew. In only 6 years, the program went from being exclusively in Illinois to being hosted in 34 states. Today, the program exists in 49 states, with Hawaii as the only state not to participate. The program, now being recognized for its delegates' merit and potential as future leaders, has affected hundreds of thousands of young men. Many people who graduate from Boys State advance into politics or a career that puts them in the public eye. Examples of successful and famous men who have graduated from Boys State are as follows: Neil Armstrong, Paul Pride, Hugh Hewitt, Jon Bon Jovi, Michael Jordan, Bill Clinton, and many more.
(Above) Boys State participants doing the wave
It’s Election Day At Boys State Here’s What the Voters Have To Say Ethan Best, Reporter The 2021 primary and general elections for city, county, and state offices were held yesterday. Each delegate at Boys State lined up at Benton Hall to perform their civic duty and vote. In a democracy, the most important voice is the people’s voice. It is also crucial that the voters opinions on the voting process are heard. Was the process smooth? Was the technology up to the task? Were they confident in the candidates they voted for? We went to gather voter opinions on these issues in order to improve and maintain the democratic process. Many of the voters interviewed thought that the voting process went smoothly, long lines notwithstanding. There was some concern that the process was too long and arduous. “I wish it was more streamlined,” said one voter who suggested that another room be added. However, the consensus seemed to be that the length of the process was not an issue. “It took some time, but I expected that,” said another voter. One interviewee was particularly impressed with the technology used. When asked if they were confident in their choices in the voting room, most of them felt that they made the best choices with the information they had. “You can always know candidates better,” said one interviewee, but nonetheless, the delegates here at Boys State are committed to being informed voters. There was one question to which voters responded almost unanimously. “Did you only vote for candidates in your party or did you vote across party lines?” Nearly every interviewee said that they voted for candidates in the other party if they felt they would do the job better. One voter said “I feel confident that I chose people based on merit.” There is a lot of respect among members of the two parties. In the words of one delegate, “I think we all did a good job of getting to know each other and making friends with everybody.”