Student News of Liberty High School

LHStoday
Student News of Liberty High School

LHStoday
Student News of Liberty High School

LHStoday
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Boys And Girls State Opens Opportunities to Learn About Government

Nine Liberty students had the chance to attend Boys or Girls State this past summer, learning more about how the government functions.
Byline photo of Ella Quinney
Ella Quinney, Editor-in-Chief of the Ldger | September 10, 2025
Loukya Vaka and Meghan Lynch
Loukya Vaka and Meghan Lynch’s city Pershing, pose for a group photo at Girls State.

Boys and Girls State is a week-long event, were students participate in a mock government with youth across the state. It took place from June 21-28. Nine incoming seniors attended from Liberty: Adrian Campos, Alexa Kiepe, Alexandra Hufty, Brodi Willnerd, Ethan Tarrant, Loukya Vaka, Lucas Bowie, Meghan Lynch, and Rathi Thiagarajan.

“It basically teaches students civil service, and the processes of each part of government at the state level,” Loukya Vaka (12) said.

Throughout the week, participants elect positions at the county level, and up to the state level. This gives them a great opportunity to understand the way the government functions on a deeper level. 

A state fair was held one night at both Boys and Girls State. At this event, countries were responsible for selling items and attractions. “During the fair, there were a bunch of inflatable characters walking around, so we took a picture with the dino,” said Loukya Vaka. (Loukya Vaka)

“I gained a lot of insight on how the government actually works, and how life would be as an adult working for the government,” Adrian Campos (12) said.

While the event is there to encourage youth to get involved with the government, it also helps them to meet new people, and make new friends. A huge part of this event is working with new and different people. Students are broken into groups with 40-60 others. 

“I got to meet a bunch of new people, and make almost a family of people, there were 60 people who I never knew before, and by the end of it, I was super good friends with all of them,” Lucas Bowie (12) said.

Along with building new relationships, individuals were able to discover more about themselves.

“You learn a lot about yourself. I think it’s similar to college in the way that you’re away from your parents, nobody’s really telling you what to do,” Meghan Lynch (12) said. She went on to say, “You get a taste of freedom, and I think that’s really beneficial to development at our age.”

Alexa Kiepe loved working alongside her city, “It was a lot of fun to meet new people and build friendships,” she said.

Boys or Girls State is an excellent chance for juniors heading into their senior year, to get outside of their comfort zone. It allows for them to learn more about government, meet new people, and discover who they are away from home. 

“It’s a wonderful experience, you meet a lot of amazing people, and you also learn a lot of amazing things,” Rathi Thiagarajan (12) said.

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About the Contributors
Ella Quinney
Ella Quinney, Editor-in-Chief of The Ledger
Ella Quinney is a senior, this is her fourth year in Publications. Quinney is Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Ledger magazine, along with a reporter for the website. She can’t wait to work alongside her staff to produce the magazine, and work on the website this year. Outside of Publications, she is Key Club’s editor and a member of DECA. Quinney bakes, reads, and hangs out with her friends in her free time. She is looking forward to a great last year, in and out of the classroom.
Loukya Vaka
Loukya Vaka, Copy Editor of The Ledger
Loukya Vaka is a senior, and this is her fourth year in Publications. Vaka is Copy Editor of the “Ledger” magazine, and this is her second year in this position. Outside of Journalism, Vaka is the president of Key Club, president of HOSA, treasurer of Books2Brand, and treasurer of NHS. She is also a part of LeaderinMe, Model UN, Students Demand Action, and Spanish Club. Vaka enjoys playing the piano and the flute, reading, listening to music, and spending time with her loved ones. In the future, she plans to study medicine and become a family doctor. She is excited to put out some amazing “Ledger” issues and for this amazing new year.
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