Special

By Samantha Simonsen The Muenster University Center burst with energy as college and career booths filled the area on Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Girls State delegates attended the college and career fair hosted inside, where more than 20 booths of South Dakota colleges and careers set up. From tech schools to the […]

By Nadine Moore   Delegates decided early on what their week would entail. Girls State offered delegates the opportunity to attend either a law and procedure or law enforcement class on Tuesday afternoon. Delegates picked classes based upon what sounded interesting to them. Both classes went into detail on the specific field. Delegates needed to […]

By Adeline Smidt   South Dakota Representative Mike Stevens advised Girls State delegates to research political parties and to become involved in whichever best represents their views Tuesday morning. Stevens, who represents District 18 and serves as Majority Whip in the South Dakota House of Representatives, told delegates that political parties aren’t everything. He then shared three ways a person’s political views can be shaped. Birth, or factors […]

South Dakota Sen. Billie Sutton believes women are underrepresented in politics. Sutton said women make up only about 20 percent of the government, while they make up around 52 percent of the nation’s population. Additionally, South Dakota has never had a female governor, and the United States has never had a female president. Sutton encouraged delegates to get involved politically. He told the girls it was […]

By Adeline Smidt   Emily Firman Pieper got the 2016 Girls State session off to an exciting start at the first general assembly Monday night. Firman Pieper, a resident of Flandreau, attended South Dakota Girls State in 1994 and was elected governor that year.  Today, she stays busy raising three children and running a nonprofit […]

By Lauren Svatos   To conclude the first full day at Girl’s State, South Dakota Army National Guard 2nd Chief Warrant Officer Shane Toupal taught a seminar based on self-defense. Toupal started the assembly by saying, “Everyone is a leader.” He explained the three stages of assault: sexual assault, assault prevention and the aftermath. Simple […]

By Samantha Simonsen   For Kate Katterhagen, Philadelphia, “The United States flag represents all the people who fought for freedom “And it also represents my symbol of patriotic pride,” she said. The flag is a respected symbol in the United States, and with this status comes flag etiquette. Flag code formalizes and unifies the traditional […]

By Anna Eggers   Dustin Johnson hoped to encourage Girls State delegates to aim high for success Tuesday. Johnson spoke at the morning session of the general assembly. He is the former Public Utilities Commissioner and Chief of Staff for Governor Dennis Daugaard and currently the Vice President of Vantage Point Solutions. Johnson said “speaking […]

By Nadine Moore This week, there are some ladies weaving in and out of meetings, classes and so on. These girls are part of Journalism City, and we do much more than just cut in line for every meal. Maybe this column will help spare us the glares. To be honest, coming into this week, […]

By Nadine Moore   Nadine Moore: What’s the most influential piece of advice you’ve ever been given? Mike Rounds: Don’t sell yourself short. And remember, you should leave this place better than you’ve found it. I think they both go hand-in-hand. You have to have the confidence to do the job. With that confidence, you […]