Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, August 1, 1994 TAG: 9408010088
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: ARLINGTON LENGTH: Medium
Alan Windsor of Stafford County and Ryan Teten of Chesterfield County were chosen to attend Boys Nation, held last week at Marymount University in Arlington, while attending Boys State last month in Lynchburg.
They joined 94 other rising high school seniors from 48 states for the 49th annual session of the citizenship and leadership education program, said Boys Nation Director Ron Engel. Only Louisiana, which holds its Boys State later in the summer, and Hawaii, which does not yet have a program, did not participate.
The American Legion sponsors the state and national conventions.
At the convention, the boys introduced legislative bills, elected a president and vice president, and developed party platforms. They tackled national issues such as the environment, abortion, crime and flag desecration.
``You can really see politics working here,'' Windsor said last week.
Windsor, who said he loves to argue politics, displayed his flair for debate Tuesday during a vote on preserving the Florida Everglades. He ejected words rapid-fire at his neighbors and emphasized certain sentences with a punch to the air.
Later, he said he found the business of politics to be a ``down-and-dirty game.''
The boys were also given an opportunity to see the Washington area and visit historic sites. They heard from guest speakers, including President Clinton, a former Boys Nation delegate, who brought Stephen Breyer with him Friday just hours after the Senate confirmed Breyer as the next U.S. Supreme Court justice.
by CNB