Bird elected senator at Girls State

Danica Bird

Being asked to attend Girls State is an honor.

It is a chance for young women who have completed their junior year of high school to learn about their city, county and state government by taking on roles of government officials.

Danica Bird, an upcoming senior at Le Mars Community Schools, received the honor of going to Girls State this past June to represent Le Mars.

The 2009 Girls State program, held each year by the American Legion Auxiliary, took place from June 21 to 26 at Iowa State University.

"Our day began at 8 a.m. with breakfast and was filled with speeches, meetings and activities all day," Bird said.

American Legion Auxiliary members and Girls State alumni act as counselors for the young women throughout the day.

They explain how different sections of our government works, parliamentary procedures and voting rules, and keep meetings and speeches organized.

During the program, Bird and more than 270 other young women were divided into groups which formed cities, and each participant was part of either the nationalist or federalist party.

The cities made up two counties, which then formed a state.

Toward the end of the week, Bird campaigned for senator and was elected.

"Being senator was my favorite part," she said. "We got to talk about real issues our government faces, and the bills we passed were actually seen by Governor (Chet) Culver."

Bird was also selected as city reporter and wrote three stories throughout the week for the Girls State newspaper.

For her third story, she got the chance to interview Caine Westergard, an Akron-Westfield student, who also participated in the program and was elected governor.

Bird said her time at Girls State was a learning experience.

"It helped to improve my people skills and I became more confident," she said. "The experience really made me think about what I believed politically. Hearing all the other girls debating their views made it clear to me what I think is right."

Bird said by the end of the week, Girls State gave her the opportunity to bond with young women from all parts of Iowa.

"At first, the experience was overwhelming, but by the end it was an honor to be included in a group of such amazing girls," she said.