Connections

There is a common phenomenon around college campuses the first month of school: everyone has rapidly regained the classic elementary school extrovertedness. California Boys and Girls State, living up to the promise of a college-esque social scene, has embraced this phenomenon in its fullest. Between the awkward ‘Hey, where are you from?’ to the tighter knit communities within cities, quick connections have already begun to form.

On the first day, when many people were unfamiliar with each other, it was the standard to strike up a conversation with anyone within their radius. “You can just go up and talk to someone and they'll just be chill,” explained a Delegate. While most conversations were quick and ended in nothing, the occasional chemistry would occur and create fast friends. Delegate Jayden Galindo agreed with the sentiment, remarking “You can just have a conversation with a random person and it will just flow.”

The easy going nature of Delegates and the open-minded ability to jump into conversations has made campaigning a little easier. Putting yourself out of your comfort zone and being forced to pitch yourself is inherently hard, but the atmosphere makes it a little more easy to digest: "It's very humbling having to go around and talk to everyone, but everyone is very inclusive and welcoming,” explained a delegate.

On the other hand, the atmosphere is competitive and in such rabid races, it can be hard to develop a deep friendship while balancing the difficulties of campaigning and outreach. “Sometimes it feels a little shallow, they just want to get their names out there,” explained a Delegate. However, he continued by emphasizing that “everyone is very nice though.”

Creating a common enemy is a universal strategy to build community. Schools have rivals, sports have competition, and we have cities. The counselors were very quick in the first city meeting to mention the prestigious title of “model city”. This “friendly” competition between cities has created an easy solution to the dilemma of how to build a functioning government in two days. By brewing competition, cities are forced to work together for a common goal: winning. “You get to be around a smaller group of people, build a family and have advocacy and pride for your city,” explained Angela Hernandez. Over the course of the week, as people settle into their jobs, the cities are sure to run smoother and become even closer.

Overall, in the few days Delegates have been in Sacramento, fast friendships and close communities have been built. The alumni harp on the friendships they make through the program, so even if you feel like you haven't met that person yet, keep your eyes open. You never know, they could be from a different county or maybe even right next to you.

PC: Rudra Patel

Written By: Laurel Merrick

Edited By: Miki Harris

Published By: Faid Kassim