By Allison Sayer

Seven Glennallen High School Student Council students traveled to the Alaska Association of Student Governments (AASG) Fall Conference in Delta Junction that took place October 11-13. The students were: Brejanay Stone-Jordan, Cheyenne Fields, Alvin Albert, Connor Johnson, Nicholas Patrick, Michael Johnson, and Skyler Griffin. 

I caught up with Student Council president Skyler Griffin and Vice President Michael Johnson to learn more about their experience over Zoom in November. 

Griffin and Johnson explained the structure of the event. The students review resolutions that have been submitted by students from around the state. Representatives meet in one of six regional groups before debate and voting occurs in a general assembly. The resolutions can be quite broad or extremely specific: anything from an individual school’s hat policy to requesting changes in Alaska state law. 

Resolutions generally contain “action statements” that detail what should happen if a resolution passes. For example, a resolution that concerns an individual district could be presented to that district’s school board.

In total, 13 resolutions passed, eight with unanimous consent. At press time, AASG had not yet published the full text of Fall 2024 resolutions, but they will be available at aasg.org in the future. 

Participants learn how to participate in meetings using points of order, points of information, and points of privilege. Points of order “keep things in check.” Points of information can be used to request clarification. Points of privilege can be invoked to request “random” things, such as turning town the heat in the gym or asking for side conversations to be kept down. 

The general assembly meeting is “not short,” according to the students. However, Griffin and Johnson agreed including a regional chant competition is helpful to “get everyone hyped and in a good mood.”

I asked the students about which proposals met with the most agreement or disagreement.

The students reported several bills met with general agreement. These included a request that the Alaska state legislature release budget information to school districts earlier, and requests that the Fairbanks North Star Borough add more privacy barriers to the boys’ shower and bathroom facilities. 

Some resolutions were controversial. North Pole High School student Liam Wade proposed a resolution expressing opposition to Alaska Senate Bill 173, which would have required “school districts to grant qualified persons an assigned duty to carry a concealed handgun on school grounds under certain conditions.” The bill did not leave committee in the last legislative session. 

Johnson said there was some confusion among students because a vote in favor of the resolution was a vote stating opposition to the bill. There was also disagreement among students regarding the substance of the resolution. In the end, the resolution was passed “with noted opposition.” Glennallen’s student council agreed with the resolution. 

An Anchorage School District student proposed a resolution to require one year of foreign language instruction for graduation. There was a lot of discussion, and the bill ultimately failed. 

Although there was disagreement between students at the conference, Griffin and Johnson agreed the tone remained “pretty professional.”

I asked the students whether they had any advice for adults about how to discuss issues they disagree about. They recommended making sure to listen and maintain respect for others. Griffin said he also had learned about the “dignity index” at another conference, and said those ideas were important for learning how to talk about issues where people disagree. 

The students described long days, starting their meetings at 7:00 a.m. during the conference. They enjoyed a performance by the Delta Junction choir during an opening ceremony, the opportunity to participate in local excursions, and team and leadership building activities. 

The Glennallen students participated in a health related workshop where they learned about exercise and monitoring their blood pressure and heart rates. The Glennallen group split up for excursions, which included a barley farm visit, a hike, and a workout that left a few kids sore the next day. 

Of the conference experience, Griffin stated, “You learn a lot about parliamentary procedure, what’s going on in other schools, and what’s going on at the state level.” He is glad to keep learning more about “how to discuss official things.” Griffin noted that Johnson won “Region III Delegate of the Region” during the conference. Both Griffin and Johnson emphasized that the importance of respect was a major theme at the conference, and that they also had opportunities to have fun.