Junior Avery Buchanan just got back from her riveting semester in DC, where she served as a Senate Page in the Capitol. She initially heard about this program from family friends, and uncoincidentally, her brother Cole had attended the program in the fall of 2017. At the start of the semester, Avery learned that there were three distinct attributes to being a successful page are to have a good work ethic, organization, and maturity. She emphasizes quality over quantity and that “being organized is vital.” Since they didn’t use google classroom, the students didn’t get reminders about assignments. It was tough luck for students who didn't write their work down because all school work was done on paper. Outside of the classroom, Avery shares that a lot of the time she was working with and next to War Veterans and Senators, so it is crucial to always act in a professional way, and know how to “make small talk with adults.” Additionally, the program came with many perks, like decent pay, experiencing life in DC, and working with actual Senators!
Not only did Avery work with the authorities in the Republican Party, she even went out to breakfast with the esteemed Susan Collins! A day in the life of Avery, and the 26 other pages, looked like a 5:00 AM wakeup for school downstairs at 6:00. After her four core classes, she would walk to the senate and go through the rigorous security. When security was passed, she and her group would hitch a ride on the underground senate subway to the capitol. There, the pages would check in for the work day by splitting into their two shifts based on their party. The prayer and pledge when the senate convened was an interesting add-on to the experience. From then on, Avery describes her day as having changing shifts, one hour on, and one hour off. During the group hour, they collected speeches, fetched waters, and ran vote results to the different offices. When their hour was up, they did homework in the back lobby. The days when there was a vote were the busiest, Avery says. On those days everyone was on the floor, holding doors, talking to senators, and assisting with whatever they needed. On a usual day, each page was scheduled for either the early or late shift. The early one ended at 6:00 PM when the pages went back for dinner, while the late shift continued until the Senate adjourned. When asked, “who did you meet that had the greatest impact?” we expected the name of a senator to float from her mouth. However, Avery answered that her English teacher, Ms. Owens was the most influential. She says that she was pushed “out of her comfort zone” and in turn, she learned she was capable of more than she thought. Through senators and teachers alike, Avery found this to be an inspiring experience. The US Senate Page program was not only beneficial in increasing Avery’s political knowledge, but it also built her character and helped her discover who she is.
Avery with Senator Susan Collins
Courtesy of Avery Buchanan // Clipper Chronicle
Courtesy of Avery Buchanan // Clipper Chronicle
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