Division 2 Amends the Constitution

A guest post by 8th grader Marty.

On Tuesday, November 24, I, along with the rest of Division 2, embarked on a field trip to Boston's South Station. The objective of the trip was to collect information for an essay that we are writing in our Humanities class, where we're learning about the Constitution and trying to interpret its text. After reading the Constitution, we each chose a specific part of the document that we wanted to amend. I chose the second section in the first article of the Constitution, which outlines the requirements to become a State Representative. 

Currently, the minimum age to become a State Representative is 25. To become a Senator, however, one must be 35. I thought this was unfair, and that the age should be the same for both Senators and State Reps. Age shouldn't dictate responsibility! While we were at South Station, we interviewed station patrons about their opinions regarding our proposed amendments and changes. We talked to a variety of people, all of whom had different opinions on our proposed amendments. Although we were occasionally frustrated -- not everyone wanted to talk to us in the middle of their work day -- in the end, most of us talked to six or seven different people. ​I was lucky enough to talk to eight. 

Because I wanted to examine different age requirements in government, one of the questions I asked ​was, "Do you trust 35 year olds more than 25 year olds?" All of the patrons I talked to unanimously agreed on their answer, and thought that age didn't truly dictate a person's responsibility level. It was fascinating to talk to different people and learn their thoughts and views. I gained many insights on how people understand and value the Constitution -- or not!