Student Voices
“Not knowing exactly what to expect I dragged myself out of bed prepared to be the best delegate I could be.”
“I knew what I believed in and no one was going to change my mind. Fortunately, I was wrong...“
“The experts who spoke made it evermore clear to me what these people had set out to do fifty years ago. I now understood what Vic Fischer meant when he reiterated to us that our ‘language’ must sing.’ I took pride in the fact that our Constitution was written... by those who truly had Alaska in their hearts. I now understood why Alaska’s constitution was never meant to be the perfect constitution but one that reflected the spirit of our land. ... I left the final day with a greater understanding of what our Constitution meant. I realized finally that those original delegates so many years ago put in place a constitution that was truly Alaskan. Our constitution is unique, just like our state it is one of a kind.”
“I was quite happy with the success of my particular resolution because I saw it change directly attributed to the debate and I got to see the reasoning behind it clicked in the minds of the other delegates as they gained appreciation for the actual issue at hand rather than just becoming emotional about the... issue.”
“I would participate in another convention if given the chance now completely prepared to propose resolutions and debate on their behalf. I’m so glad that I was given the opportunity to receive this information on such an instrumental and crucial process that is responsible for the rights afforded to us, as Alaskan citizens, in this wonderful and most just state.”
“The resolution produced by the group I participated in after weeks of research and deliberation was something to be proud of, it read as follows: No person may vote who has been convicted of a felony until he has been released from confinement or his civil rights have been restored... I felt that its inclusion was imperative in order to communicate the idea that denying any Americans the right to vote was counterproductive and furthered the ripple effect of negative consequences for those involved in the justice system and their families. The current language of the Alaska constitution does not allow persons on probation or parole the right to vote. If we are releasing these individuals into the community to live and work among us, it is in our best interest to include them as much as possible in the civic activities of their community,... Perhaps Alaska, with its amazingly streamlined and progressive constitution, could be a shining example for other states...”
“Many Alaskans are unaware of a powerful provision, unlike any other, that can be found within the state’s constitution that allows the people of the state, every ten years, to vote in a general election on whether they would like to hold a constitutional convention... Born and raised in Alaska, I had heard this before but had no sense of what it meant.”
“I feel that minors have a fundamental constitutional right of choice equal to that of adult women. Since people are born free and equal, they should be treated as equals. These are inherent and inalienable rights that cannot and should not be denied.”
“I think subsistence/rural preference presents a rare case in that it is evident the overwhelming majority of Alaskans support this de facto racial discrimination – including me.”
“The flood gates opened and we had a dozen ideas in the allotted time, half of them even showed a bit of promise... Once we realized that anything in the [constitution] was fair game... it became a task to narrow down the list of things we’d like to change”
“Removing [legislative immunity] from the document would help fight the perception that our state has two classes of citizens, those who the law applies to, and those who are above the enforcement of the laws of the state.”
“Removing [the minimum age requirement] for holding public office would put more power into the people’s hands and remove an artificial barrier to office. By opening up state office to younger adults we can help give younger voters a personal stake in elections... An equal, involved, well behaved citizen is a fine goal, and this resolution could be a step in that direction.”
“The fact is that the mere option to vote in favor of a Convention is iron clad in in our Constitution and I feel very proud of that provision. I feel that the original formulators of our Constitution must have been futuristic in their open minded ideals that change will be necessary as our young state matures.”
“I gained a whole new insight and respect for the legislative process.”
“We discussed possibly using the PFD to fund socialized medicine throughout Alaska but we discarded it as unfeasible.”
“The civil rights amendment passed, which wasn’t a very big surprise. The amendment to legalize weed was voted down almost unanimously. The amendment to change how state senators are elected was voted down, it was a poorly worded and poorly thought-out idea in my opinion... The universal healthcare was a hot topic and a recount was called with massive arguments from both sides.”
“I didn’t think I would like it or even be interested in the convention itself and saw it as a waste of time. During the two days we held it, though, it allowed everyone to see new perspectives and give voice to their own opinions on topics that most of us would never of thought about on our own.”
“This was a great opportunity to meet some of the original [participants]. I cannot even believe that we were fortunate enough to have that resource. I will forever remember this experience.”
“Are homosexual rights really moving us in the direction of a caring society? For those who see Left maybe this is true, but for those who see Right, it rocks the whole foundation of their beliefs... By granting a certain group rights are we taking away the right to pursue happiness of others?... Marriage in and of itself is a religious concept. Is it really even a matter for our government to be dealing with?”
“This isn’t about one right being lost, but there are more than 1,138 rights and protections conferred to U.S. citizens upon marriage and this committee feels that no Alaskan should be denied one right, let alone more than a thousand.”
“We had the founders of Alaska as we know it, right there, giving us input on how they’d written it originally and why they did so. It was so much better than an actual book or doing research online.”
“Civil rights interest me, and the denial of marriage rights based on gender seems to me to very clearly represent discrimination.”
“I didn’t agree with [the resolution requiring only parental notification for an abortion.] As a parent, I believe parents should have the right to consent to such a procedure, not just be notified.”
“It’s quite remarkable that we live in a state where some of the original framers of our Constitution are still alive. I had never really thought about Alaska being such a young state. It was wonderful that some of the participants of the original constitutional convention were able to attend this “Once in a Decade’ UAA Student Alaska Constitutional Convention.”
“I was surprised to learn that I have a constitutional obligation to the state and people’s rights. Throughout my life I’ve felt relatively powerless and that I’ve been a tool of the law, which could control me and fellow citizens however desired.”
“I was surprised that the vast majority of members in my group supported abortion... This made for an interesting atmosphere... The diverse views provided some interesting discussion, which was beneficial.”
“The state of Alaska has never had the death penalty. The national trend opposes the death penalty, so it is not likely that Alaska will adopt capital punishment in the near future; capital punishment is simply too controversial.”
“Teenage girls who consider having an abortion lack the life experience to fully comprehend how serious, and what effects, abortions have.”
