Governor Mitch Daniels celebrated Indiana’s 196th birthday with hundreds of schoolchildren at a Statehouse ceremony Tuesday. It will be the last Statehood Day Daniels takes part in as governor.
Students from schools around Indianapolis and Columbus participated in festivities at the Statehouse that included presentations from legislators, state Supreme Court Justice Steven David and the governor. Daniels said Statehood Day is the best opportunity he sees to teach younger students about the history of Indiana.
“You hope that they get a little sense even at the age of nine or ten that it’s a big day, that birthdays after all are important and get a little flavor for history with it,” said Daniels.
The governor also honored Greenwood fourth-grader Jamie Poynter for her winning essay, “What Indiana Means to Me.” He said it’s one of the most impressive he’s read in the eight years he has taken part in the ceremony.
