Alexandra Solomon, Katlyn Hipple and Megan Dickerson are three of 34 young Virginians who will participate in the Commonwealth’s Senate Page/Messenger Program for the upcoming session.
Solomon and Hipple will be pages, while Dickerson will serve as a messenger. They will represent Williamsburg area in the class of 2014, made up of 13- and 14-year-olds from 29 localities and schools throughout the state.
The chief duty of Senate pages and messengers is to assist during floor sessions and committee meetings. They also run errands, answer phones, pull and file bills, assist with mail distribution, offer support to the Clerk’s Office, assist in the public information office, offer guidance at information desks and engage with school groups and tourists visiting the Capitol.
The educational experience extends beyond work assignments and errands, however. Senate pages and messengers are tasked with designing and implementing a community service project, and producing a biweekly newsletter. The class considers current issues from their respective localities, working through them in mock committees and a mock session.
Learning also continues beyond the boundaries of Capitol Square. Participants can take educational tours of historic sites and museums in Richmond.
Solomon, Hipple and Dickerson started orientation Sunday, and will have two days of intense training before the session starts Wednesday. They will serve until the legislature adjourns March 8.
Solomon and Dickerson are from Lois S. Hornsby Middle School, and Hipple attends Warhill High School. All will be responsible for their schoolwork during the program, with mandatory study halls scheduled every weekday evening.
Senators choose 16 pages on a rotating basis, and messengers are appointed by the Clerk of the Senate. Students applied for the 2014 session in the fall of 2013.
The first mention of Senate pages appears in the Senate Journal in 1848. Since then, the program has evolved into an engaging experience for students interested in history, government and politics. It calls itself a “real-life civics class,” where students learn to be effective leaders and responsible citizens, as well as gain valuable job skills through an emphasis on time management and personal responsibility.
For more information, visit the Virginia General Assembly’s Capitol Classrom website.
