COLUMBIA - It was hard to tell what the Palmetto Boys and Girls State delegates were more excited about - the inauguration of their newly elected officials or the presence of the opposite sex.

The joint ceremony on the Statehouse steps Friday marked the culmination of a weeklong immersion into the political process for 1,300 rising high-school seniors. The Citadel-based Boys State and the Columbia College-based Girls State were meeting for the first time.

It had been a week full of serious business. Students honed their public speaking and leadership skills as they debated issues, ran for office and organized mock political parties, courts and legislatures.

But teens will be teens, and some spirit of social mixing also filled the air.

"Ever since we got to The Citadel, a place with no air conditioning, all we have thought about was air conditioning and you, Girls State," Boys State Gov. Duy Nguyen announced to raucous cheers.

Even Gov. Mark Sanford jokingly asked the crowd "if this was a leadership program or a dating service."

The event also featured plenty of patriotic songs, speeches and the solemn swearing-in of the Boys and Girls State officials, who were escorted down the Statehouse steps with their real-life government counterparts. The delegates' parents watched, video cameras rolling.

The annual leadership camp is sponsored by the American Legion and American Legion Auxiliary.

Girls State Gov. Anna Ready of Emerald High in Greenwood called the week "unforgettable."

"It's such an honor to do something that I love and have a passion for," she told the crowd.

Speeches from the student governors and lieutenant governors were followed by a motivational speech from Sanford, who urged the teens to chart their own course and dream big.

The week was an empowering experience for many of the politically savvy youth.

"For the first time ever, I realize that we're young, but we're mature, and we understand state politics," said Nguyen, a rising senior at the Governor's School for Math and Science.

Nguyen said he went into Boys State with his sights set on the governor's position.

"I was aiming high," he said.

As a gubernatorial candidate, Nguyen promised to cut back on government bureaucracy, increase terrorism prevention and give more control to local school districts.

Boys State Lt. Gov. Desmond Body said the week of campaigning taught him the value of perseverance.

"You need to always try," the Rock Hill High School student said. "I ran for everything and always failed until now."

Carol McGrady said Girls State was an invaluable experience for her daughter, Marice, a rising senior at Richland Northeast High School.

"I knew she had a wonderful time when she didn't call home," McGrady said.