This couch (the couch that the nominees sit on while waiting for their interview) is empty because Granite Hills does not have the Boys State program anymore. Principal Veryl Ann Duncan is trying to get another American Legion to sponsor Granite Hills.

What happened to the boys?
Ebony Bailey | 2/13/08 | News

Students and teachers know about the recent interview for Girls State, but what about Boys State? The Terra Bella American Legion is not sponsoring Granite Hills for Boys State from now on. This may be the first year that Granite will not have a boy representing their school at the Boys State camp.
 
The Terra Bella American Legion supported both Granite Hills High School, and Monache High School. Porterville High School is supported by a different American Legion. The reason why the Terra Bella legion will not sponsor boy's state happened last school year.

 According the Principle Veryl Ann Duncan, five or six boys were nominated for boys state, but only one boy showed up for the interview: Benny Thongsaone. Thongsaone was qualified to go to the Boys State camp since he is the only one who showed up for the interview.
 
But when it was time to go to the Boys State camp in Sacramento, Thongsaone did not show up. This was when the Terra Bella American Legion announced that it was not going to support the Boys State program anymore at Granite Hills.
 
"It makes Granite Hills look really bad," Duncan said. "It's such an important program and it means so much to them [the American Legion]."
 
Thongsaone said that he did not show up because he was given the wrong information about what time he was supposed to leave. He thought he was supposed to leave at 9:00 a.m., but it turns out they left for Sacramento at 3:00 a.m. He said the problem was just miscommunication.
 
"If I didn't want to go, then I wouldn't have shown up to the interview in the first place," Thongsaone said.
 
This incident from last year will affect the junior boys from this year and many years to come. Some of this year's junior boys are disappointed because they wanted to be involved in Boys State this year. Two Junior boys, Taylor Garlow and Julio Gonzales, expressed an interest in Boys state.
 
“There should be a Boys State and it’s unfair to juniors right now because it looks really good on our application and it’s unfair,” junior Taylor Garlow said.

He, along with Gonzales, thought that it was unfair that they are suspending Boys State this year for something that happened last year.

“I don’t think it’s fair that we had to base it on last year’s kids. I don’t think every year’s the same, not every year a boy is going to mess up. Not all boys are the same,” junior Julio Gonzales said.
 

But Boys State may not be completely gone from Granite Hills. Duncan is going to try to get another American Legion, the one who sponsors Porterville High School, to sponsor Granite Hills so that this year's junior boys can have a chance. She says that it is the right thing to do.

Estudiantes y maestros saben acerca la entrevista reciente para Girls State, pero que hay de Boys State?  La American Legion de Terra Bella no va a patrocinar a los jóvenes varones de Granite de ahora en adelante.  Este año quizás será el primero que Granite no tendrá un varón representando la escuela en el Boys State Camp.

La American Legion de Terra Bella apoyaba a estudiantes de Granite Hills High School, al igual que de Monache High School.  Porterville High School es apoyada por una American Legion diferente.  La razón por la cual la legion de Terra Bella no apoyara Boys State ocurrió el año pasado.

Según la directora Veryl Ann Duncan, cinco o seis varones fueron nominados para Boys State, pero solo uno apareció para la entrevista: Benny Thongsaone.  Thongsaone fue calificado para ir al Boys State Camp por ser el único quien fue a la entrevista.

Pero cuando fue tiempo de ir al Boys State Camp en Sacramento, Thongsaone no dio cara.  Por consecuencia la American Legion de Terra Bella anuncio que retiraba su apoyo del programa de Boys State de Granite Hills. 

“Esto hace que Granite Hills se mire muy mal,” dijo Duncan.  “Es un programa tan importante y significa mucho para ellos [el American Legion].”

Thongsaone dijo que no apareció porque fue dado información equivocada acerca el tiempo que iba a irse.  El pensó que debería irse a las 9:00 a.m., pero resulto que partieron para Sacramento a las 3:00 a.m.  Dijo que el problema fue una mala comunicación.

“Si no había querido ir, entonces ni hubiera aparecido para la entrevista en el primer lugar,” dijo Thongsaone. 

Este incidente del año pasado afectara a los varones del año tercero de este año y muchos años en venir.  Unos de los varones están decepcionados porque querían ser implicados en Boys State este año. 
 

 
Pero Boys State quizás no este completamente fuera de Granite Hills.  Duncan va a tratar de tener otra American Legion, la que patrocina a Porterville High School, patrocinar a Granite Hills para que los varones de tercer año puedan tener una oportunidad.  Dice que es lo correcto que hacer.