Not Their Hometown, But Their City

Photo courtesy of Andrew Policastro

They may not have grown up there, but after just a few days, delegates are starting to treat their assigned city like home. What began as just American Legion Buckeye Boys State (ALBBS) has turned into something more: Delegates shout chants across campus, and defend their city’s name with pride.

In just a few days, the delegates in many cities have gone from strangers, to brothers, almost acting as if they have belonged to their city for as long as they’ve lived. This connection is more than just the delegates being together in a city; for many it is now becoming a brotherhood, where strangers have turned into family.

Garret Ruffle of Stockner City described how the energy displayed in his city affected him, saying it “makes me feel more unified within my city.”

The city of Stockner has been very energetic when it comes to displaying their city pride. Their chants are loud, organized, and can always be heard from far away. They also seem to especially bond together, oftentimes being found playing cards together in their free time.

These chants are quite important to the delegates as they are a large part of the brotherhood that is formed within each city. The main chant that is heard around campus comes from the city of Stockner. Their signature chant is quite simple, as it is just their city’s name split into two syllables: “STOCK-NER!”

It is clear that ALBBS has had a beneficial impact on all delegates attending. Many boys have been broken out of their shell by their city-mates, which has allowed them to create relationships like never before. It has only been a few days, yet that has not stopped anyone from creating friendships that could last forever.

Many say that ALBBS is a week to shape a lifetime, however, it can also be seen as a week to form a brotherly bond with one another.