| OCCHS students selected to attend Boys State, Girls State | | Posted: Monday, May 27, 2013 9:05 pm
| By GLENDA CAUDLE
Special Features Editor
They viewed the Young Pioneer Camps sponsored in America by Communists as ways to indoctrinate American youth into principles of government that would ultimately be destructive to the nation. So Hayes Kennedy and Harold Card decided to counteract the effort.
In 1935, Hayes, an in-structor at Loyola Uni-versity Chicago School of Law, and Harold Card, a junior high school teacher, founded the hands-on experience in democracy that has come to be known as American Legion Boys State in Illinois. Kennedy was interested in the American Legion and Card was the Legion’s Boy Scout chairman.
They established a “camp” that would train young men in the principles that undergird a democratic system of government. By 1938, the American Legion Auxiliary in Illinois had taken on the responsibility of educating outstanding young women of high school age in the same way.
By 1984, there were thriving programs in each state. Hawaii has since abandoned its effort.
According to information from the Boys State Web site about the opportunities for rising seniors at high schools across the state, “At American Legion Boys State participants are exposed to the rights and privileges, the duties and the responsibilities of a franchised citizen. The training is objective and practical with city, county and state governments operated by the students elected to the various offices. Activities include legislative sessions, court proceedings, law enforcement presentations, assemblies, bands, chorus and recreational programs.” The program for Girls State is very similar.
This year, Boys State started at Tennessee Tech University in Cookeville Sunday and will continue through Saturday.
Girls State is under way at Lipscomb University in Nashville during the same period.
Sponsors for OCCHS students include First Citizens National Bank, First State Bank, Reelfoot Bank, Baptist Memorial Hospital-Union City, Commercial Bank and Cole & Short Crop Insurance (Lucas and Ashley Wilds).
Delegates from OCCHS include Chandler Fussell, son of Fritz and Dana Fussell of Troy; Zach Crews, son of Kimberly Crews and Andrew Crews of Hornbeak; Korben Ha-gan, son of David and Dana Hagan of Union City; Carly Whipple, daughter of Kevin and Candy Whipple of Union City; Kaycee Mathenia, daughter of Mike and Peggy Mathenia of Union City; and Diana Ramos, daughter of Maria Garcia of Troy. Alternates were Connor Rinker, son of Michael Rinker and Rhonda Rinker of Union City; Ryan Middlebrook, son of Keith Middlebrook and Donna Middlebrook of Union City; Caleb Walker, son of Tim and Jeanna Walker of Union City; Laina Roberson, daughter of Guy and Cathy Roberson of Troy; Macy McClure, daughter of Frank McClure and Cheryl McClure of Union City; and Brenna Wilkins, daughter of LaVonda Stan-ley of Union City.
Fussell has been president of his class in high school each year and president of Students Against Destructive Decisions twice. He is a Top Ten student and has been honored as a Kiwanis Student of the Month. He is the 2013 Discipleship Award recipient and is a member of the OCCHS basketball team and cross country team. He is also a member of Health Occupation Students of America, and Fellowship of Christian Athletes. A small group leader at Troy First Baptist Church, he is also active in the church youth group.
He works for Pioneer Seed Co. and Synergy Therapy and Aquatics and enjoys hunting, fishing, sports and traveling. He was selected for a travel study abroad opportunity this summer.
Crews is a member of FFA and has served that club as treasurer. He placed first in the district in the Job Interview contest. A member of the OCCHS Art and Pep clubs, he is also a study group leader at Troy Church of Christ in the On-Track program and is active in the church youth group and with the church’s disaster relief team that traveled to Joplin, Mo., to assist with tornado clean-up efforts.
Hagan has been the top academic student in his class since sixth grade and has also been president of Beta Club. He was a Plus Class student from fourth to eighth grade and has claimed awards in Algebra I and II. He won Best of Show in Art II, was freshman class vice president and Christian Student Association vice president, as well as being an officer in Art Club and a member of Fellowship of Christian Athletes. A Youth Leadership candidate, he was a delegate to Student Congress on Policies in Education and is a National Honors Society student. He has been a Kiwanis Student of the Month and has taken part in the University of Tennessee at Martin math competition.
He was a member of the All-District golf team and is involved with Rebel basketball, racking up the best scoring average for theam this year.
He is a Bible Drill Regional winner, Xtreme Bible Challenge state runner-up, a member of the signing team and drama team at his church and is involved as an Upward basketball coach.
Miss Whipple is a member of Obion County Central FFA and took regional Livestock Evaluation Team honors. She has been chapter vice president of the organization and was also a regional Horse Evaluation Team winner and second high individual for Horse Evaluation at the regional level. She is on the school softball team, where she was named to the All-District team, and has taken part in Youth Leadership of Obion County. She has been involved with the Obion County Junior Livestock Association and has been involved in the FFA livestock show team.
She is a member of Woodland Mills First Baptist Church.
Miss Mathenia is a member of the OCCHS soccer team and has a third-place academic ranking in her class. She was a SCOPE delegate.
Miss Ramos has been listed on the gold honor roll and has teen a Top Ten student since her freshman year. She has also had perfect attendance as a high school student and has claimed the Kiwanis Club Student of the Month award. She is a member of OCCHS soccer team.
Rinker is a member of Beta Club, Foreign Language Club, Art Club and FFA and is on the soccer team and the 4-H trap shooting team. He is also involved with Rebel Beat and has been a Student of the Month.
Middlebrook, another Student of the Month, is an All-District baseball player and a member of the OCCHS golf team.
Walker is a member of the OCCHS football team and is involved in the school’s ag program. He has been an FFA officer for two years and has won several agricultural awards, including first place in regional horse judging and sixth place in the state in forestry judging.
He also received the runner-up showmanship for livestock showing in the county. He enjoys football, hunting, fishing and working with and showing cattle and swine.
Miss Roberson has been a Student of the Month and has had perfect attendance and been a Top Ten academic standout each high school year.
She is a member of SADD and has been both treasurer and president for Skills USA. She has been a member of the Lady Rebel soccer team for three years and was named Defensive Player of the Year of the West Division as a sophomore.
Miss McClure has been a Student of the Month and is a member of Beta Club, HOSA, National Honor Society, Art Club, Key Club, Pep Club and the school basketball team.
Miss Wilkins has been a Class Favorite each year and is a member of the OCCHS cross country team. She is also actively involved in her church youth group.
Published in The Messenger 5.27.13 | | | | |
