I never wanted to be different; I just wanted to be me.: Look to Girls State, and you'll find tomorrow's leaders of mankind.

The first week of June I had one of the toughest, but best experiences of my life. I attended the Sixty-Third Palmetto Girls State. I didn't realize when I was there how much of a big deal it was to be there. Since I've gotten back, I've received letters in the mail from over 5 colleges offering to give me scholarships if I enrolled there next fall.

Being there made me realize so many things:

1) The dorms I had to stay in were the worst :)

2) I had the potential to be more of a leader than I thought.

During Girls State we had so many responsibilities, We had to set up our own form of government(which means a governor, lt. governor, sec. of state and all other positions need for a government had to be elected.) I had the opportunity to hear some of the biggest names in South Carolina Politics speak: Andre Bauer, Henry McMaster, Lindsay Graham, and Mark Sanford(this was the week before his scandal broke...might I add) are just a few of them. Henry McMaster was by far my favorite!

All of the delegates were divided up into political parties: The Nats(Nationalists) & The Feds(Federalists.) I was a Nat. Whenever we all were divided up we'd make up cheers & try and out-cheer the other party. The Nats cheers were the best :) These two are my favorites:

N, Pump it up, Pump it up, A, T, Come on, Come on, We yell, We cheer, We have no fear, The NATS are here! N, Pump it up, Pump it up, A, T, Come on, Come on, We yell, We cheer, We have no fear, The NATS are here!

NATS in the front let me hear you grunt, NATS in the middle let me hear you sizzle, NATS in the rear let me hear you cheer. Do that stuff, Do that stuff, What. Do that stuff, Do that stuff.

Since all us girls were staying in dorms on the campus of Columbia College(the boys at Boys State were staying at USC, which is much better :) ) each hallway in the dorms were divided up into cities, and then each floor of the dorms were divided up into counties. So I was in Tice City and Bell County. The first night, all the halls had to decorate our hallways. My hall did Guns N' Roses hit song Paradise City as inspiration for ours, and we changed it to paraTICE city. So of course ours had a beach theme to it. Our next project was to make a banner as a county. And which ever banner won, would get to see the boys from Boys State first on friday at the parade when we were going to the state house. Sadly my county didn't win, but it should have, it was adorable.

My roommate and I got along so good(thank goodness) She was from Summerville, and we both had a lot in common. Like we've both been out of the country for a mission trip, we're both dancers, we dress the same etc.

Finally on the last full day, Girls State and Boys State were united at the State house(where we saw Mark Sanford) and we ate lunch at the Horseshoe over at Carolina. It's a tradition that the Girls and Boys trade shirts(we could only wear out Girls State shirts the whole week) So every girl ended up with a Boys State Shirt :)

I have to post some of the songs we sang, and that I love now.

The Girls State Anthem

Raise your voices, Raise them high. Sing to Girls State, and here's why--Look to Girls State, and you'll find tomorrow's leaders of mankind.

Chorus:

We are the future builders, Builders in a Band---And we come from Girls State, the best state in the land! We are up and coming, progressive, wise, and strong. And to our old Girls State, we proudly sing our song.

Of our leaders we will learn. 'Cause someday 'twill come our turn. To fulfill their upmost plan- A lasting peace for ev'ry man.

Chorus:

We are the future builders, Builders in a band---And we come from Girls State, the best state in the land! We are up and coming, progressive, wise, and strong. And to our old Girls State, we proudly sing our song.

A MAN WITHOUT A GIRLS STATE

A man with out a Girls State is like a ship with out a sail. It's like a boat with out a rudder, it's like a fish with out a tail. A man with out a Girls State is like a wreck upon the sand. There's only one thing worse in the universe, and that's a Girls State, I said a Girls State, and that's a Girls State with out our MAN!(We ought to know)

CAROLINA IN THE MORNING

Nothing could be finer than to be in Carolina in the morning. No one could be sweeter than my sweetie when I meet her in the morning. Where the morning glories wind around the door; Whispering pretty stories I long to hear once more. Strolling with my girlie where the dew is pearly in the morning. Butterfiles flutter up and kiss each little buttercup at dawning. If I had Aladdin's lamp for only a day. I'd make a wish and here's what I'd say; Nothing could be finer than to be in Carolina in the morning.

SOUTH CAROLINA ON MY MIND

At the foothills of the Ap-pal-ach-ian chain, down through the ri-vers, to the coast-al plain, there's a place that I call home, and I'll never be a-lone, singin' this Carolina love song.

Chorus:

I've got South Carolina on my mind, remembering all those sunshine Summertimes, And the beauty of the Autumn when the leaves turn to gold touches my heart and thrills my soul to have South Carolina on my mind, with those clean snow-covered mountain wintertimes and the white sand of the beaches and those CAROLINA PEACHES, I've got South Carolina on my mind.

I'm grown now with a family of my own in a place that all my kids are cal-lin' home. And I love this life i'm livin', and thank God for all he's given', but my heart still sings a Carolina love song.

Chorus:

Trying to spell Tice...it didn't reall work out