AASG Fall 2019 Conference
“Growing Together”
By Makenzie Mirasole
AASG Public Relations Officer
Through debate, cheers, excursions and much more the large delegation of Alaska student leaders who gathered in south central Alaska at the 2019 Fall AASG conference hosted by Palmer High School truly conquered the goal of “Growing Together.”
Students from every corner of the state gathered with great excitement in the home of the Palmer Moose. At this conference delegates from Utqiaġvik to Unalaska, from Bethel to Skagway — brought and debated resolutions that covered topics such as supporting the Global Eco Corps under the United Nations, the use of bathroom passes, the re-location of the Alaska State Legislature, the implementation of a suicide support club in every Alaska high school and many other well-researched and passionately-written resolutions. The resolution of this conference — chosen for its lengthy and thought provoking debate — was a resolution on the topic of removing industrial red meat from Alaska school lunch programs. Congratulations to Dori Getchell and Marirose Evenden for authoring such a controversial resolution.
Palmer High School offered the students an opportunity to show off their bowling skills, explore the streets of Palmer, visit the local musk ox farm, be enlightened on the process of recycling and enjoy some time ice-skating. Senator Dan Sullivan even stopped in to talk to us about the problems Alaska is facing and his love for student government and advocacy. The mayor of Palmer also came and educated us on the colony of Palmer and how it came to get its farming reputation.
AASG welcomes and congratulates our new region representatives elected at the conference: Region One – Caleb Kim, Bethel Regional High School; Region Two – Kami Vandevanter, Tri- Valley High School; Region Three – Jenessa Lorenz, Whittier Community School; Region Four – Cameron Witte, Eagle River High School; Region Five – Brennan Palmieri, Haines High School; and re-elected from Region Six – Ezra Adasiak, Lathrop High School.
A very big thank you to the Palmer registrars and staff that put together this wonderful conference, as well as to the Palmer community for their support.
Interested in hosting a conference?
Conferences are an exciting opportunity for both the students that attend and the schools that host them.
Past conference hosts Anthony Jensen (Wasilla High), Danielle Lewis (Eagle River High), Elizabeth Bender and Lindsey Glenn (Kodiak High), Barbara Petukh Jackson (Mat-Su Career Tech), Vivian Meyer (Skagway) and Kassandra Mirosh (Tri-Valley) are available to lend support and guidance in your decision to become a conference host school. Host schools will also have the support of the AASG executive board. Our parent organization, the Alaska School Activities Association, has also agreed to forward-fund a portion of your conference, which will help with many of the up-front costs of the conference.
Please go to the conference tools page for more information and the application forms to host an AASG statewide conference.