Don't Network, SUE

In similar lockstep to many other leadership camps, the American Legion aims to bring together all sorts of people from throughout the whole state of California. And as it does so, the community and the name takes on a life of its own, bearing innumerable aspects like the fruits of a heavily overloaded tree. And with camps like Boys and Girls State, an inevitably popular aspect becomes socialization.

When it comes to socializing and networking with our fellow delegates at the Legion, it is safe to assume that everyone’s got it down to a science. A smile turns into a “What’s your name?” to a “Wow, so are you running for anything?”. It’s a sort of monotony, relying on well-trodden roads to build and forge weeklong, potentially lifelong relationships. 

After a few days of this relatively safe bridge building, it is well worth considering now, more than ever, to consider another aspect of Boys and Girls State, the government and legal system that is being built from the ground up by the delegates. With the camp’s emphasis on civil education collaborating hand in hand with connection and socialization, it’s time to put these newly built bonds to the test and shatter the monotony that seems to dictate every social interaction and begin to sue, sue, sue. Have a problem with a neighbor stomping up and down the halls? Sue. Your roommate won’t stop asking for donations in a bid for a state position? Sue. Want to be unnecessarily petty? Sue!

What better test is there for the legal machine we built than by feeding it cases to begin churning through? What use is there in electing judges and passing the bar if there is nothing that truly demands their presence? The most fascinating part of Boys and Girls State, to me, is how the delegates reflect how America is in the real world. There is conflict, there is tension, and there is the inevitable butting of heads. And what better way to reflect the real world than to let loose and sue?

With places like the Legion, it can be a great place to network, sure. We get to meet countless talented and accomplished people that at a certain point it begins to make our heads spin and have us asking for the thousandth time, “I’m sorry, what was your name again?”. There is a fear of breaking out of the mold, of challenging these seemingly fragile relationships, and putting a system we built to the test. Something that many people seem to forget, when they put their best foot forward and begin to maintain their newly built relationships, is that at the end of the day, none of what Boys and Girls State has to offer you will get through if you aren’t enjoying yourself. 

There needs to be more lightheartedness when it comes to the legal system and networking. The upside to building a government with our own hands? It’s not real. Cases so ridiculous and mind-bogglingly stupid that they would be laughed out of court in the real world have real solid ground at the Legion. So take a step out of your comfort zone and put your knowledge of your government to work. There’s more to the art of suing, there’s connection.