Remarks of

Ms. Gloria Fredericks

Student Body President, Nenana Public Schools

Delivered to the Delegates of the Alaska Constitutional Convention

January 13, 1956

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COGHILL: Mr. President, in the gallery today we have a group of students that traveled from Nenana to visit the Convention. They boarded the train this morning at 6:45 in order to arrive to visit the proceedings of the Constitutional Convention. At this time I would like to have the Convention welcome the Nenana group and I believe that the president of the student body would like to address the group, and I ask unanimous consent.

GLORIA FREDERICKS: Mr. President, Delegates to the Alaska Constitutional Convention and friends, I feel that we today are highly favored people, especially those of us fortunate enough to call Alaska our home. Certainly the privileges of living in this great northern fringe of American civilization are as great as those possessed by any of the other 48 states.

Alaska is not only the geographical crossroads of the world but is herself at the crossroads of her destiny. She can become a equal state under the great flag of our forefathers or she can be longer subjected to the tyranny of American colonialism so eloquently spoken against by our former Governor, Mr. Gruening.

Everyone today is searching means of conserving resources, both human and physical. Today the youth of our land constitutes a far more serious problem of juvenile delinquency. They constitute the sole means of perpetuating the continuity of our way of life. I feel that today's youth are more alert, more self-conscious, and more capable than the youth of any other nation in the entire world. Were we to doubt our advancement over other generations, we wouldn't admit the failure of our great American principles. We, the youth of 1956, are indeed alert to the changes of our day.

We realize the significance of this Convention here at our great and growing University. Just as the University symbolizes our determination to enlighten our future generations, so does your work here provide basis for our hopes of the future. We feel highly honored to be able to attend this Convention. Perhaps it might convey to our minds something of that great group of men who sat in Philadelphia almost two centuries ago to draw up a constitution for our infant nation to be governed by a revolutionary type of government. Your task, though not as tremendous as theirs, is as important to the destiny of this portion of America.

Some of us have never been fully Americans. Some of you have been colonials all your life. We can look forward to a great spiritual and physical growth under the new status of citizenship, full citizenship. Many of us here today will no doubt live to be able to vote for those who decide our economic and cultural as well as our political destiny. We will be citizens of the largest and eventually the greatest of all states, Alaska. I feel that your grandchildren will see your names on streets of the new state. Possibly towns and cities will be named for you. The future will judge your work here, and we are part of that future. Because of the work you are doing here I feel that some of us will help legislate according to this constitution. I feel we will amend it and flower it into full stature of American citizens.

We, the students of Nenana Public Schools, would like to thank you for the opportunity of appearing here before you and seeing you at work. It will be a day few of us will ever forget. Thank you. (Applause)