Kaplan High senior learns about Louisiana politics at Louisiana Boys State

KAPLAN - Coeyn Wise has always been interested in politics. At the age of 17, Wise had the opportunity to experience the workings of politics in Louisiana. Wise, who is a senior at Kaplan High School, recently attended Boys State in Natchitoches.
Boys State teaches young men about Louisiana politics. All boys are divided into parishes, and each parish holds an election to select officers.
Wise ran for parish president and lost. However, he didn’t give up and ran for city council, where he won. He was later elected mayor pro tem of the City Council. Later, he decided to run for governor as a member of the Federalist Party, one of two parties at Boys State.
He and four other candidates campaigned and delivered speeches to their party members. After three rounds of elections, Wise was declared the winner of the Federalist Party. Then it was game on, and the politics began.
“That is when it got nasty,” said Wise.  “We were going parish to parish (inside the convention), and I would say my message.”
During the campaign, Wise discovered that his opponent had stolen some of his ideas and used them for his own campaign. “I was conducting an honest campaign,” said Wise. “I was striving to uphold my integrity.”
He would win the governor’s election by gaining more than 60 percent of the votes.
What did he learn about the political experience?
“I learned politics is messy,” he said.  “There were deals being made. I got to see firsthand how politics works.
“I want to be an honest and trustworthy politician,” he said.  “I want to keep my integrity.”
Wise aspires to run for political office in the future, but that ambition will have to wait for at least four years. Wise has enlisted in the Navy and will be leaving in June. “I love my country and want to serve it,” said Wise.
“We are thrilled to see Coeyn Wise achieve such a prestigious honor,” said Shay Herpin, Principal of Kaplan High School. “His dedication to leadership and community service exemplifies the values we strive to instill in all our students.”
Also, Erath High’s Luke Etié won as the Lt. Governor at Boys State.
“I was happy for Luke,” said Wise. “We have two of the highest offices from Vermilion Parish. That says a lot.”