United States Senate Page
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A United States Senate Page (Senate Page or simply Page) is a non-partisan federal employee serving the United States Senate in Washington, DC.
In many ways, Senate Pages are similar to their House counterparts.
Selection
In order to become a US Senate Page, one must first be nominated by a Senator generally from his or her State. A prospective candidate, who must be a high school junior, is required to submit high school transcripts, a list of extracurricular activities, an essay on why he/she wants to serve as a Page, letters of recommendation, and meet a minimum GPA requirement (typically 3.00 unweighted). Individual Senators are free to require a candidate to provide more information in order to help find the best student. After a senator (or likely one of his/her staff) has reviewed all the submissions, one is appointed.US Senate Pages can apply for appointment to one of four terms: a five-month Fall semester (September-January), a five-month Spring semester (January-June), or one of two several-week summer sessions. Those selected to serve during the summer period may serve either the summer directly before or directly after their junior year of high school.
During the fall and spring semesters, there are up to 30 Pages. The majority appoints 18, while the minority appoints 12. In the summer, there is no firm limit on the number of Pages, but it is traditionally in the mid 40s.
Uniform
US Senate Pages are required to wear uniforms during school and while at work in the Capitol complex. Uniforms are provided to Pages. The uniform consists of a navy blue pantsuit, a white, long sleeve, traditional dress shirt, a name badge, and a plain, navy tie (males only).
The Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms provides each Page with a standard-issue US Capitol identification card, which allows the Pages access to secure areas of the Capitol complex, including the Floor of the Senate Chamber. This ID must be returned upon termination of employment or at the end of one's term.
The Secretary of the Senate provides each Page with a Page insignia lapel pin. Each Page is allowed to keep his pin at the end of his term.
Residence and free time
US Senate Pages currently reside at the Daniel Webster Senate Page Residence. This facility was previously a funeral home and was reconfigured in order to provide Pages with a home away from home during their time in Washington. Administration and staff include the Page Program Director, Administrative Assistant, four resident Proctors, and one non-resident Proctor.
The living quarters cover two floors, one for male Pages, the other for female Pages. Each floor has a community day room for social activity. All Pages share furnished rooms with other Pages and each room is designed for four or six occupants. Each room has closet space, a bathroom, and a single telephone shared by the entire room. The Senate Page School, laundry facilities and a kitchen are located on the basement level.
The program provides the pages with 2 meals per day, seven days per week. Breakfast is provided each day through a fully stocked kitchen. Lunch is provided on weekdays through a meal card at the Senate Cafeteria. On Saturdays, lunch or dinner is usually provided through a voucher for a meal at Union Station, or if the Pages are on a field trip, dinner will be provided on the trip. On Sundays, the program provides dinner in the kitchen, or goes out to a restaurant.
The United States Capitol Police maintains a 24-hour post at Webster Hall as well as outside foot and car patrols. Their responsibility is to provide security for the facility and its occupants and to monitor access to the building. Webster Hall is monitored by a security alarm system.
When not at school or at work, Pages are given some liberty with their free time. Pages are subject to a curfew (10:00 p.m. on school nights and 11:00 p.m. during the weekend) and are expected to maintain high standards. Regarding transit, while Pages are not permitted to bring personal vehicles with them to the District of Columbia, the Washington Area Metropolitan Transit Authority (WMATA) has an underground rail system which they are welcome to use.
Most weekends, Pages are free from school or work obligations. Most spend their time working on school assignments, touring the many attractions in the DC area or simply relaxing from a long week's work. For holidays, Pages return home for Thanksgiving, Christmas/New Year and spring breaks; the dormitory is closed during these periods.
The Senate Sergeant at Arms supervises Webster Hall.
School
US Senate Pages attend school located in the lower level of Webster Hall. The US Senate Page School is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Secondary Schools. Pages must choose four courses to take during their stay in Washington.
The Page School offers classes in each subject area: Social Studies (US History, American Government, Political Science), English (Advanced Composition, British Literature, American Literature), Math (Algebra II/Trigonometry, Pre-Calculus, Calculus), and Science (Chemistry and Physics). Foreign language tutoring is available on Sunday afternoons for nearly every language.
Each week day, classes begin at precisely 6:15 a.m.. Class length varies from 30 to 50 minutes, depending upon the daily schedule of the Senate. Generally, school ends one hour and 15 minutes before the Senate convenes. If the Senate does not convene, or not before 11:00 a.m., school ends at 9:45.
The Page school supervises the Student Council and the preparation of a yearbook.
Pages are also required to participate in school field trips. Run by the Senate Page School, they are conducted approximately one Saturday a month to sites in or around Washington. Recently these have been to places like the DuPont gun powder mill and musuem located in Wilmington, DE and Yorktown, VA. The Page School also arranges special tours of the Capitol and Washington during school time. Recently the Pages toured the Old Senate Chamber, visited the Cherry Blossom Festival, and received a lecture on the architecture of the Capitol by Historian for the Architect of the Capitol.
The Secretary of the Senate supervises the United State Senate Page School.
Work
The Page's work life revolves around the US Capitol in Washington, DC. A Page serves the party of his appointing Senator. The Pages are employed by the Sergeant at Arms and technically report to the Secretary for the Majority and the Secretary for the Minority. The supervision of the Pages has been delegated to the cloakrooms.
Senate Pages play an important role in the daily operation of the Senate. Page duties consist primarily of delivery of correspondence and legislative material within the Congressional Complex. Other duties include preparing the Chamber for Senate session, taking messages for Senators or calling them to the phone, and carrying bills and amendments to the presiding officer's desk. Pages also retrieve lecterns, easels, and water for Senators and clerks.
When the Senate is in session, half of the Pages are released from duty at 6:00 p.m. each week day; the other half remains until Senate adjourns. If the Senate continues to work throughout the night, the first group of Pages might return to work in the wee hours of the morning.
When the Senate is not in session, Pages work from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m..
For their average of 40 hours of work per week, Pages are compensated $20,500 per annum, from which are deducted federal and local (based upon the individual page's permanent residence) taxes and a $600 per month residence fee.
Benefits
The job of page comes with many perks. Here is a list of activities and honors of the 2005 Spring Senate Page class:
- Attended the 2005 State of the Union Address
- Met privately with Vice President Dick Cheney and had a photo opportunity (Republican Pages)
- Met privately with Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid and had a photo opportunity (Democratic Pages)
- Had "Cookies and Coke" with Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist in the Baker Room
- Had a tour of the Capitol with the Architect of the Capitol
- Went to the top of the Rotunda with US Senator Richard Burr
- Visited several Washington Museums including the Museum of Native American History and The Air and Space Museum
- Traveled as far north as Delaware to the DuPont gun powders mill and museum and as far east as Philadelphia
- Used the DC Subway circuit to explore the vastness of the district and eat several different cuisines
- Did walking tours of both George Washington University and Georgetown University
- Pages are able to see government in action, watch history made, and become more educated about what happens behind the scenes of the United States Senate.
- Pages are also able to make friends with others from across the nation, and learn about the differences between themselves.
See also
External links
- [CRS Report for Congress: Pages of the United States Congress:Selection, Duties, and Program Administration]
- [History of the Senate Page School]
- [First Female Page Appointed]
- [Oral Interview with J. Franklin Little, Page 1910-1912]
- [C-SPAN Q&A about Pages]
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