On Nov. 5, Homer Flex High School had a video conference with Sen. Mark Begich. With the help of Sen. Begich’s Kenai field representative, Kim Howard, this conference was possible.

The conference was informative and students felt at ease when asking their questions. Sen. Begich was personable and respectful of the students and staff.

One question to the senator was, “Do you support the legalization of marijuana?” 

His response was, “No, I do not support it.”

Another question asked was,” What is your responsibility in the areas of leadership, ethics and integrity?” 

His answer was,”On my website, I disclose all of my financial information, more than many of my fellow senators.”

Sen. Begich encouraged students to visit his website, begich.senate.gov, for a better answer.

The site states that the senator is the voice for Alaskans. Sen. Begich is serving his third year representing Alaska in the U.S. Senate. His focus is set on building a strong Alaska economy.

One student asked Sen. Begich who he would vote for in the 2012 election. 

Begich said he did not agree with
Romney’s new plan for economic recovery. It’s safe for me to infer that Sen. Begich preferred President Obama over Mitt Romney in the election.

I think more of young adults might feel more inclined to vote if our legislators were more involved in getting to know these voters on a more personal level as did Sen. Begich at the Homer Flex High School. This was an amazing experience and was an inspiration to the students and staff that attended. Some of those who attended commented that they would like for Sen. Mark Begich to run in the next election. He’s got our vote.

Desirae Tangman has lived in Homer all of her life for the past 17 years. She is a junior at Homer Flex.