13 Gloucester Township Area Students Participate in Annual American Legion Jersey Boys State at Rider University

Gloucester Township, NJ -- A total of 13 Gloucester Township area high school seniors are attending the 71st session of American Legion Jersey Boys State (ALJBS) at Rider University, ALJBS said on Tuesday.

The college-level seminar, sponsored by the American Legion Department of New Jersey, is an action-oriented approach for teaching civics and government at the local, county, and state level.

Students are typically chosen and sponsored by local American Legion Posts and other community-based organizations.

This year, 986 students from more than 325 New Jersey municipalities are participating.

Statesmen will have the opportunity to govern and interact with their peers from across New Jersey as they run their own mythical 51st state of the union from June 19-24.

Within 24 hours of their arrival to ALJBS, statesmen will form 18 mythical cities, divide into political parties and elect a mayor and city council from within their ranks.

Each statesman has an opportunity to participate in the political party process by running for office, voting in elections, among many other events.

By the end of the week, the delegation will elect a new ALJBS Governor, Lieutenant Governor and two Boys Nation Senators, who will attend a national program in Washington, D.C. this summer.

Local seniors participating this year are listed below, in alphabetical order, with their town and sponsoring post listed:

• Eric Christopher Canlas, Sicklerville, Legion Post #281
• Krunal Desai, Sicklerville, Legion Post #281
• Jacob Hunt, Blackwood, Legion Post #281
• Ryan Jacobs, Blackwood, Legion Post #281
• John O'Brien, Sicklerville, Legion Post #372
• Daniel O'Leary, Laurel Springs, Legion Post #133
• Arfhat Rana, Clementon, Legion Post #281
• Sean Reed, Erial New Jersey, Legion Post #281
• Dylan Reynolds, Blackwood, Legion Post #281
• Cary Robinson, Sicklerville, Legion Post #286
• John Sharman, Blackwood, Legion Post #281
• Christopher Waters, Erial, Legion Post #281
• Joshua Welker, Blackwood, Legion Post #281

Notable speakers this year include Lt. Governor Kim Guadagno, Senators Bob Menendez and Cory Booker, Congressman Leonard Lance, among many others.

Other highlights include:

• Leadership and career seminars taught by business executives, military representatives, political consultants, law experts, journalists, and other professional experts;
• A college fair featuring more than 90 institutions from across the country;
• Election of the 71st ALJBS Governor on Thursday, June 23; and
• Election of two Boys Nation Senators on Friday, June 24, who will represent New Jersey at the annual American Legion Boys Nation program in Washington D.C. this summer.

Notable ALJBS alumni include Gov. Chris Christie (Boys Nation Senator, 1979), Sen. Bob Menendez (1971), Sen. Cory Booker (1986), Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito (1967), Rep. Leonard Lance (1969) and Assemblyman Herbert Conaway (ALJBS Governor, 1980).