The concept of Boys State, a mock government promoting spirit and competition, leaves room for rivalries. A major rivalry, that being between Atchafalaya and Bogafalaya Parishes, was rekindled Sunday night when Atchafalaya claimed the Boys State Flag at the Citizen Convocation. What followed consisted of the creation of more aggressive chants between the two Parishes. Despite the seemingly obvious reinitiation of the conflict by Atchafalaya, conflicting viewpoints exist on the nature of the rivalry. The general consensus on the side of Atchafalaya is that they are under attack and that marching chants are simply a counter to Bogafalaya’s attack. A few citizens of Atchafalaya have even expressed a desire to counterattack on Tuesday morning. The opposite consensus coming from Bogafalaya is that rivalries are just natural in Boys State, and that the “Falayas” will always have conflict because of their names, but desires for peace still exist within Bogafalaya.
