“The Bluebonnet” - The Official Journal of Texas Bluebonnet Girls State - Volume 17 - Saturday, June 22, 2013

Over 500 Take Part in 69th Session By plane, bus, and automobile, 510 young

women from all over Texas traveled to

Texas Lutheran University campus in Se-

guin to take part in the 69th session of

Bluebonnet Girls State. Participants were

organized into twelve “cities” with between

34 and 52 “citizens” each. They met their

roommates and neighbors and were wel-

comed by their counselors. Each new com-

munity quickly organized to write and

adopt their own city charter and then hit

the ground running by electing the follow-

ing city officials:

City Angels Mayor: Laura Boshart

Council Place 1: Dee Lockhart Council

Place 2: Emmy Lopez Council Place 3:

Madeline Jones Council Place 4: Marley

Foster, Treasurer: Jackie Zbranak, Attorney:

Laney Hempel Tax Assessor/Collector:

Kayla Fuentez, Police Chief: Elizabeth

West, Health Officer: Brianna Garza, Fire

Chief: Janelle Weinman Municipal Judge:

Jessica Gonzales (Senior Counselor: Allie

Benson; Junior Counselors: Adelaide Sul-

lins and Marley Berry)

City B Bluebonnets Mayor: Casey Co-

gan, Council Place 1: Juliana Rolandelli,

Council Place 2: Jori Tytus Council Place 3:

Caitlyn Crim, Council Place 4: Taylor Phil-

lips, Council Place 5: Kathleen Nelson,

Council Place 6: Sarah Gallegos, Treasurer:

Mariah Davis Attorney: Erica Nguyen, Tax

Assessor/Collector: Gloria Nieto, Police

Chief: Alayna Cruz, Health Officer: Gloria

Wilson, Fire Chief: Ashley Bridges, Munici-

pal Judge: Darby Villano (Senior Counselor:

Keely Mosher; Junior Counselors: Fallon

Boenig and Katelyn Pennington)

City C Clovers Mayor: Ashley Tanner,

Council Place 1: Katy Moore, Council Place

2: Carissa Tinley, Council Place 3:

Sydney Herring, Council Place 4: Zoe Rodri-

guez, Council Place 5: Diana Yakushkina,

Girl State citizens arrive by school bus and are welcomed by junior counselors.

Council Place 6: Helena Westphal-Franklin

Attorney: Paige Kubena, Tax Assessor/

Collector: Maddie Hibbs, Police Chief: Taylor

Brodeur, Health Officer: Tiffany Davis, Fire

Chief: Lindsey A. Stahl, Municipal Judge:

Chloe DeShazo. (Senior Counselor: Lilliebeth

Halling Junior Counselors: Breanna Lind and

Hannah Cleveland)

City D Daisies Mayor: Mary Grace

Cloud, Council Place 1: Sydney Rogers,

Council Place 2: Arden Baxter, Council Place

3: Kelsey Tuck, Council Place 4: Cindy

Pham, Council Place 5: Gabby Adams, Coun-

cil Place 6: Teri Lambert, Attorney: Kaylee

Knowlton, Tax Assessor/Collector: Mandi

Henderson, Police Chief: Devon Mann,

Health Officer: Elisabeth Babb, Fire Chief:

Ashton Allee, Municipal Judge: Misten Kit-

trell. (Senior Counselor: Hillary Everts; Junior

Counselors: Hadley Brown and Cindy Saultz)

City E Empresses Mayor: Kingslee

Zarate, Council Place 1: Lauren Evans,

Council Place 2: Jackie Scott, Council Place

3: Madeline Jennings, Council Place 4:

Jennifer Meyer Council Place 5: Briel Hen-

derson, Treasurer: Mari Beltran, Tax Asses-

sor/Collector: Audrey Hamlin, Attorney: L. J.

Basica, Police Chief: Alora Nichols, Health

Officer: Tori Quill, Fire Chief: Lexie Vir-

gadamo, Municipal Judge: Melissa Gon-

calves (Senior Counselor: Mauri King; Junior

Counselors: Aspen Real and Marisela Cas-

tro)

City F Firecrackers Mayor: Michelle

Deveau Council Place 1: Kenda Henbest,

Council Place 2: Bonnie Winkler, Council

Place 3: Susan James, Council Place 4:

Drew Wesley, Council Place 5: Emily

McCalley, City Treasurer: Rachel Davis, Attor-

ney: Hejab Khan, Tax Assessor/Collector:

Madison Wood, Police Chief: Alana Stern

Health Officer: Han Bui, Fire Chief: Emily

Brazee, Municipal Judge: Anna Grodnicki

(Senior Counselor: Kate Ehmke; Junior

Counselors: Alexis Conley and Joi Stevens)

(continued on page 2)

Nats, Feds Pick Leaders: Party Convention Results

Pct. 1: Elli Devine, Pct. 2: Celeste Taniguchi, Pct. 3: Sophia Weeber, Pct. 4:

Rachel Knight Pecan County Chair: Lauren Jones, Pct. 1: Gena Gillispie,

Pct. 2: Diamone McCrary, Pct. 3: Tala Raus, Pct. 4: Kayla Ortiz Tejas

County Chair: Abby Starck, Pct. 1: Milagros Luna, Pct. 2: Chloe Lewis, Pct.

3: Claire Steinman.

Federal Party State Chair: Kaytlen James, Vice-Chair: Aryn Clift,

House Whip: Maggie Mathis, Senate Whip: Natalie Mackie.

Chili County Chair: Ashlee Bading, Pct. 1: Jori Tytus, Pct. 2: Caroline

Ragsdale, Pct. 3: Ashlee Bading, Pct. 4: Hallie Skansi Goff County Chair:

Lani Nguyen, Pct. 1: Jessica Babb, Pct. 2: Laura Coleman, Pct. 3: Hejab

Khan, Pct. 4: Madison Huerta Pecan County Chair: Alicia Wahrmund, Pct.

1: Carleushia Kelly, Pct. 2: Kathrine Fetizanan, Pct. 3: Kursten Jaime, Pct.

4: Kaytlen James Tejas County Chair: Tricia Kennedy, Pct. 1: Tanya Torres,

Pct. 2: Bethany Garza, Pct. 3: Claire Simmons.

(continued from page 1)

City G Genies Mayor: Kendall Duke,

Council Place 1: Hannah Alfred, Council Place

2: Lauren Archuleta, Council Place 3: Christi-

ana Nehls, Council Place 4: Casey Vasquez,

Council Place 5: Nikki Cunningham, Treas-

urer: Janetta Parker, Attorney: Christa Patter-

son, Tax Assessor/Collector: Laura Coleman,

Police Chief: Angela Shipp, Health Officer:

Brooke Dennis, Fire Chief: Odalys Garcia,

Municipal Judge: Hope Cory (Senior Coun-

selor: Morgan Germany; Junior Counselors:

Kristen Mills, Blair Cowden, and Jacki Shea)

City H Hipsters Mayor: McKenna Sims,

Council Place 1: Abigail Kurtzman, Council

Place 2: Cydney Piersol, Council Place 3:

Audrey Garcia, Council Place 4: Michelle Raji,

Council Place 5: Mazie Vincent, Council Place

6: Dominique Tilly, Treasurer: Amanda Lep-

pard, Attorney: Claire Janes, Tax Assessor/

Collector: Audrey Cernoch, Police Chief:

Lisette Sanchez, Health Officer: Allison Thorn-

ton, Fire Chief: Brooke Hairgrove, Municipal

Judge: Carleushia Kelly. (Senior Counselor:

Debra Lin; Junior Counselors: Stephanie

Bossert and Brittany Brenan)

City I Insiders Mayor: Lizzie Zudock,

Council Place 1: Leanne Garza, Council Place

2: Oxy Benites, Council Place 3: Veronica

Vega, Council Place 4: Kassidy Mason, Coun-

cil Place 5: Rachel Blackmon, Allison Mathe-

son, Treasurer: Haritha Jupudy, Attorney:

Kaitlin Hoppenstedt, Tax Assessor/Collector:

Katie Pilgrim, Police Chief: Ashley Jones,

Health Officer: Amanda Altenhofen, Fire

Chief: Kendall Hudson, Municipal Judge: Ana

Csitkovits (Senior Counselor: Pollyanna Hal-

ling; Junior Counselors: Kallie Fuchs and Ali

Colurciello)

City J Jellyfish Mayor: Megan Rose,

Council Place 1: Lidia Arvisu, Council Place 2:

Gabrielle Alls, Council Place 3: Asun Guerra,

Council Place 4: Kamber Burleson, Council

Place 5: Shivani Bhatnagar, Council Place 6:

Tayler Dittrich, Treasurer: Heather Fierros,

Attorney: Breanna Redden, Tax Assessor/

Collector: Memory Colston, Police Chief, Kelli

Sharp, Health Officer: Kaitlyn Little, Fire

Chief: Beatriz Escudero, Municipal Judge:

Winter Brooks. (Senior Counselor: Renda

Barr; Junior Counselors: Sid Mitchell, Shilpa

Kudva, and Haley Mazac)

City K Kisses Mayor: Arden Prendergast,

Council Place 1: Emma Johnson, Council

Place 2: Kara Todd, Council Place 3: Melanie

Phillips, Council Place 4: Stephanie Zhao,

Treasurer: Jean Farmer, Attorney: Jacei

Barrera, Tax Assessor/Collector: Natalie Mar-

tinez, Police Chief: Joy Jones, Fire Chief: Sami

Garza, Health Officer: Madison Prichard-

Warren, Municipal Judge: Sarah Walker.

(Senior Counselor: Danielle Bartz; Junior

Counselors: Katie Shaw and Sabrina Gallo-

way)

City L Lions Mayor: Maya Nixon, Council

Place 1: Ashley Bradshaw, Council Place 2:

Kyleigh Hoelscher, Council Place 3: Claudia

Scott, Council Place 4: Lauren Green, Council

Place 5: Chelsey Stewart, Treasurer: Sarah

Ahmad, Attorney: Sarah Baker, Tax Assessor/

Collector: Chandler Henkes, Police Chief:

Rachel Ho, Health Officer: Shelby Pence, Fire

Chief: Brook Shuck, Municipal Judge: Ariel

Svec. (Senior Counselor: Rachel Herrod; Jun-

ior Counselors: Ali Flowers and Sam Fritz )

“The Bluebonnet” Page 2

Because the Girls State program is entirely non-partisan,

citizens operate with mock political parties. They elect pre-

cinct, county and state party officials, and write their own

party platforms. The program was led by Party Coordinator

Emalee Harmon and Federal Party Sponsors Kailey Peck

and Rachel Cantu and National Party Sponsors Brittany

Buffum and Anabeth Fuller.

National Party State Chair: Annie Sides, Vice-Chair:

Katelyn Moody, House Whip: Claire Steinman, Senate Whip:

Alondra Ramirez.

Chili County Chair: Kimberly Bosquez, Pct. 1: Kimberly

Bosquez, Pct. 2: Maria Frasson-Nori, Pct. 3: Anna Passey,

Pct. 4: Annie Sides Goff County Chair: Tara Schwehm,

National leaders: (l to r) Steinman, Sides, Moody and Ramirez.

Federal leaders: (l to r) Mackie, Mathis, James and Clift.

Marty Peters, President, ALA Department

of Texas.

After a picnic lunch on the Capitol

grounds, citizens returned to TLU, con-

cluding the evening with a talent show.

Floor Leaders Picked Floor Leaders are distinguished positions

in the legislature at Girls State. They are

chosen by their respective presiding offi-

cers to serve as mentors for their fellow

legislators. In the real world they are also

spokespersons for their party and organ-

ize party strategy.

The Senate Floor Leaders are Nat

Jessica Skansi and Fed Jahnavi Muppa-

neni. In the House, Nat Mercedes Banks-

Hopkins and Fed Caitlin Post are the Floor

Leaders.

Legislative staff members are Legis-

lative Coordinator Kate Hartfield, Speaker

of the House Jessa Barniol and President

of the Senate Jenny Denny. Head Legisla-

tive Assistant is Priyanka Patel. Dhruti

Gopaluni and Anna Rigby are the Legisla-

tive Assistants for the House. Alicia

Magee and Neethi Nayak are the Legisla-

tive Assistants for the Senate.

State Elections: Feds’ Huerta Takes Top Spot

On Thursday, June 20th, Federal Party candi-

date Madison Huerta was elected 2013

Bluebonnet Girls State Governor. Tala Raus

was elected Lieutenant Governor. Other win-

ners were Jacq Kasemsri, Attorney General;

Maya Fitzpatrick, Comptroller of Public Ac-

counts; Abigail Davis, Commissioner of Gen-

eral Land; Jordan Janke, Agricultural Com-

missioner; Kayti Stanley, Railroad Commis-

sioner; Chloe Lewis, Presiding Judge, Court

of Criminal Appeals; Dajanara Mangiameli,

Chief Justice, Supreme Court. Citizens also

approved a constitutional amendment estab-

lishing annual legislative sessions.

On Friday, June 21st, citizens traveled to

Austin where Girls State senators and their

representatives convened their annual mock

legislature in the State Capitol. Later, a joint

session gathered in the Texas Senate cham-

bers to inaugurate newly elected state offi-

cials. Director Connie Bridges addressed the

citizens and administered the oath of office.

State officials were escorted by: Blake Haw-

thorne, Clerk of the Supreme Court represent-

ing Chief Justice Phil Johnson; Brian Chandler,

Staff Attorney, Texas Court of Criminal Ap-

peals, representing Hon. Michael Keasler;

Chairman Barry Smitherman, Railroad Com-

mission; Catherine Wright Steele, Dir. of

Gov’tal Affairs, representing Todd Staples,

Agriculture Commissioner; Kevin Warren, Dep-

uty Land Commissioner, representing Jerry

Patterson, Commissioner of General Land

Office; Lisa Woods, Chief Strategy Officer,

representing Comptroller Susan Combs; Ben

Taylor, Dir. of Outreach, representing Attorney

General Greg Abbott; John Hryhorchuck, Policy

Advisor to Lt. Governor David Dewhurst; and

Citizens who performed throughout the session include: Emmy Lopez, Janetta Parker, Made-

line Jones, Alicia Wahrmund, Chloe DeShazo, Han Bui, Kursten Jaime, Jackie Zbranak, Leanne

Garza, Tori Mongo, Ashlee Bading, Cierra Schaefer, Gabby Steen, Janelle Weinman, Zoe Rodri-

guez, Juliana Rolandelli, Aryn Clift, Audrey Hamlin, Casey Vasquez, Amanda Saenz, Samantha

Bradley, Gabby Gafford, Jessie Noblett, Patience Hendrix, Kathrine Fehzanan, Molly Hammond,

Savannah Knight, Sam Kouatli, Tori Ober, Anna Passey, Gabi Campos, Denitsa Nikolova, Sky

Schoolfield, Samantha Brocklehurst, Mackenzie Bitz, Gaynell Granja, Dejanara Mangiameli,

Maya Fitzpatrick, Caitlin Corich, Emily Beyer, Milagros Luna, Claire Simmons, and Claire Stein-

man. Gloria Wilson played horn at flag lowering.

“The Bluebonnet” Page 3

State Officials: (l to r) Raus, Fitzpatrick, Lewis, Stanley, Huerta, Davis, Mangiameli, Janke and Kasemsri

Girls Nation delegates, Outstanding Citizens picked

County Election Results: Nats Best Feds 18 to 14 Citizens elected eight county officer in each

of the four counties of Girls State.

Chili Commissioners Place 1: Kristyn

Burton, Commissioners Place 2: Ashley

Kopf, County Judge: Berkeley Brown, County

Attorney: Emma Meyer, Tax Assessor/

Collector: Chase Lalouette, County Clerk:

Kenya Walker, Sheriff: Madison Rose, Jus-

tice of the Peace: Arden Johnson

Goff Commissioners Place 1: Kirsten

Wolfford, Commissioners Place 2: Madi Oliva-

rez, County Judge: Gabby Gafford, County

Attorney: Joy Youwakim, Tax Assessor/

Collector: Katie Beth Barton, County Clerk:

Tiffany Gambrel, Sheriff: Kelly Verm, Justice

of the Peace: Jessi Trejo

Pecan Commissioners Place 1: Tori

Mongo, Commissioners Place 2: Makenzie

Raesner, County Judge: Nura Salhadar,

County Attorney: Tamera Davis, Tax Assessor/

Two girls are selected from each Girls

State program to attend Girls Nation, a na-

tional government training program. Chase

Lalouette of Harker Heights (ALA Unit 573)

and Kirsten Wolfford of Orange (ALA Unit

49) will represent Texas at Girls Nation in

July. First alternate is Sarah Lanford of

Houston (ALA Unit 77) and second alternate

is Mattie Lastovica of Fredericksburg (ALA

Unit 244).

Girls Nation “senators” meet for a week

in Washington, D.C., where they run for of-

fice, enact legislation and meet with U.S.

Representatives and Senators. Capping off

the week is a meeting with the President of

the United States.

Twelve citizens were chosen

“Outstanding Citizens of 2013” by their fellow

Girls State citizens. They are Laura

Boshart (City A), Annie Sides (City B), Katie

Steinhauser (City C), Hallie Skansi (City

D), Madison Huerta (City E), Michelle De-

veau (City F), Kendall Duke (City G), Carly

Knapp (City H), Tala Raus (City I), Megan Rose

(City J), Chloe Lewis (City K), and Paige

Cheatham (City L).

During closing assembly, Director Connie

Bridges recognized the contributions of

Bluebonnet Girls Stateʼs over eighty staff

members. They are unpaid volunteers, ei-

ther former citizens or members of the

American Legion Auxiliary. Those not men-

tioned previously include: Co-Directors Lori

Swann and Mary Ellen Trahan; Associate

Directors: Ann Doan, Karen Rodriguez,

Stephanie McDonald; Education Coordina-

tor: Katie Foehrkolb; County Coordinators:

Shelby Langford, Jessica Evey, Sarah Scalia,

Katie Stewart, Anna Van Buskirk and Alli

Williams; Talent Chair: Phyllis Janke; Talent:

Emily Toensing, Megan Thibodeaux, Sarah

Gates and Anna Liu; Bank: Martha Collis,

Barbara Kundert, Robbi Ruppert and Myra

Hester; Office: Charlotte Toulouse and Kim

Pondrom; Nurses: Lynda Redix and Carolyn

Whitener; Store: Virginia Donnelly, Sarah

Urbanosky Hartman, Dixie Jones, and Donna

Dillard; Transportation: Barbara Kundert;

Media Relations: Ashley Poston and Jessica

Scott.

For more information about the Texas Blue-

bonnet Girls State program, contact:

The American Legion Auxiliary

Department of Texas

P.O. Box 140407

Austin, TX 78714-0407

Phone: 512-476-7278 Fax: 512-482-8391

Email: alatexas@txlegion.org

Web: http://www.girls-state.org

“The Bluebonnet” Page 4

Girls Nation delegates: Kirsten Wolfford (on left) and Chase Lalouette with Connie Bridges

Collector: Amanda D. Gonzalez, County

Clerk: Hannah Kelly, Sheriff: Emma King,

Justice of the Peace: Ashton Miller

Tejas Commissioners Place 1: Kaitlyn

Marshall, Commissioners Place 2: Brittany

Smith, County Judge: Jorden Moretti, County

Attorney: Caytlyn Phillips, Tax Assessor/

Collector: Ashlynn Karstrom, County Clerk:

Peyton Autrey, Sheriff: Kennedy Saxon, Jus-

tice of the Peace: Leighanna Bridwell