The director of Louisiana Girls and Boys State has said the programs will be cancelled this year, but an official at the American Legion, which funds Boys State, said the programs will happen — even if it has to be at another university.
D’Ann Morris — director of the program, which teaches high school juniors about state and local government — told several Girls and Boys State staff members and counselors that the program would be cancelled because the University had scheduling conflicts. Morris invited counselors to a “constitutional convention” where they could discuss ways to improve the program. But an American Legion leader said the convention “will not happen” — and Girls and Boys State will.
“We’re going to have a program this year,” said Bill Detweiler, past national commander of the American Legion. “We’re not going to have 1,300 high school juniors deprived of this experience.”
Boys and Girls State are two eight-day programs that teach high school juniors from throughout the state how government and politics work through mock elections, political party conventions and government services. The program began 65 years ago.
Former Daily Reveille employee Jay Melder, Morris’ assistant and an English senior, said Morris decided to cancel the event because of a lack of available space in classrooms and dorms.
The Daily Reveille attempted to contact Morris by phone and in person several times. She did not return any phone calls.
The University has traditionally hosted the program during the first week in August.
Tiffany Netters, an office assistant in Residential Life, said the dates Morris initially requested to use campus dorms conflicted with the “early move-in” dates for fall residents involved in University athletics, Greek recruitment and other campus programming. Netters said halls have earlier dates available, but Morris told her there would not be enough classroom space open at that time.
Detweiler said Morris has not discussed any of the scheduling conflicts or potential cancellations with him.
“Ms. Morris is talking to the press but not to her boards [at the American Legion],” Detweiler said. “Quite frankly, we don’t know as an organization what her reasons were.”
Detweiler also said he does not know anything about the “constitutional convention” Morris told the her staffers will replace Boys and Girls State.
“She continues to make statements about some constitutional convention,” Detweiler said. “That will not happen.”
Chancellor Sean O’Keefe said Tuesday afternoon that he would look into trying to hold both the convention and the traditional program in August.
The University released a statement Tuesday that said officials are “examining options to host the Louisiana Boys and Girls State program for summer 2005.”
In an e-mail O’Keefe said he sent to Morris on Monday night, before speaking to anyone at the American Legion, he wrote, “It is my understanding that the American Legion has endorsed a constitutional convention format in light of the logistical challenges attendant to this annual event.”
O’Keefe said Tuesday evening he first spoke with Detweiler on Tuesday morning.
Detweiler said he is the chairman of a new committee set up to attempt to resolve the problems at LSU or consider holding Boys and Girls State at other universities in the state.
“It will not be cancelled,” Detweiler said. “It will be worked out and held at LSU or it will be moved to another campus.”
Detweiler said he is discussing options with other universities interested in hosting the programs.
Morris has said in the past that the University’s strong relationship with the American Legion, which sponsors Boys State, and American Legion Auxiliary, which sponsors Girls State, has added to the success of the programs.
Detweiler said he appreciates what the University has done for the summer programs, but the Legion and Auxiliary have also done a lot for LSU, he said.
There are other reasons to hold the programs at another university, he added. Any August date keeps Louisiana from sending the top two students from each program to the national programs, which are held in July. Many other states have their programs before the end of July, when Boys and Girls Nation takes place in Washington D.C., Detweiler said.