During the past week, March 27-31, I was able to spend a week down in St. Paul. It wasn’t for a family trip or for a high school competition but for a program I think more students and teachers should know about. This is the Minnesota House of Representative’s High School Page Program.
So what is this program, and what benefits does it provide? The High School Page Program has been in operation since 1975 and gives juniors an unmatched look into the theory, functioning and people of Minnesota’s state government. As a page, you first work on the floor of the House, passing out papers, assisting legislators and the like. While this may sound boring, being in the chamber during the session is very exciting, especially when some major speeches are happening right in front of you.
When the House is not in session, a whole host of activities is also prepared. Our group of seven pages was able to meet the Speaker of the House, the Majority and Minority leaders, as well as many representatives across the political spectrum. This included meeting with my local representative, Tim O’ Driscoll. We also learned just how the legislative process works in Minnesota, where multiple readings and stops in committees are required before final passage. In this same vein, we were able to have our own mock committee meeting. Acting as a legislator and a witness, I really got a sense of just how vital this step of the process is.
Along with the legislature, the executive and judicial branches were covered as well. The program usually meets with the Secretary of State, who is in charge of coordinating elections in Minnesota. Being a student election judge this year, it was fascinating to hear all about how things are organized in Minnesota and how we once again had the highest voter turnout in the nation. Our group was able to visit the Minnesota Supreme Court and talk to an appellate judge. From these experiences, one can see how important it is that all parts work together in a smooth way.
With all this in account, I would highly recommend this program to any student even vaguely interested in politics or government. The breadth of the program and its accessibility make sure you don’t need to know the ins and outs of every policy issue to know what’s going on. In fact, if you come with an open mind, the experience will be much better as you will be able to appreciate the wide amount of opinion in the House. The entire program is run by the nonpartisan Sergeant at Arms office, which ensures a balanced look at the political side of things.
So how do you apply? Applications for the year ahead usually are due by the beginning of December of the current year so watch your calendars. Be sure to check out the Minnesota House of Representatives’ website for information during the next few months. The program is also only for juniors, so if you’re a sophomore, you’d need to apply this fall for next year’s program. In addition to application information, you also need to write a short essay about why you would like to be in the program.
There are many local students who would be well served by this program. In a political scene dominated by the Twin Cities, sometimes it feels like non-Metro students don’t have as many opportunities in this sector. I think it really helped me to get a sense of what working in politics would be like, and I hope it will do that for many more young people as well. I would encourage the educators, parents and students of this area to take a closer look at the High School Page Program. We have some great potential here, and who knows, a future president or representative could be growing up right here in Central Minnesota.
Connor Kockler is a Sauk Rapids-Rice High School student. He enjoys writing, politics and news, among other interests.
