By KEN CASHMAN
THE CORNWALL LOCAL / NEWS OF THE HIGHLANDS / Friday, July 20, 2018
-For refreshment, Sen. Tom Udall of New Mexico drinks a mixture of sparkling water and hot water.
-Senator Tammy Duckworth of Illinois travels so fast in her motorized wheelchair that her aides have to run to keep up with her.
-Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont is constantly in high gear. He always has someplace to go, and he always walks quickly to get there.
Pierce Pramuka, a junior at Storm King School, can talk about the members of the upper house the way ball fans can describe their favorite players. Pierce was a Page in the U.S. Senate from June 11 to June 29.
The National Mall from the Chaplains Office: US Senate page, Pierce Pramuka ’20 and his sister, Easton, take in the National Mall from the Chaplain of the United States Senate’s office.
Learning about the opportunity just three days before the hiring deadline, he submitted a resume on line along with a letter explaining why he wanted the job. He didn’t have to search for a reason. He’s always been interested in government. That explanation was good enough for Sen. Schumer, who appointed him.
After arriving in Washington, D.C., Pierce checked into Webster Hall — a dormitory for the 30 pages that is just a few blocks from the Senate. Before going to work, Pierce and the others had to memorize the names and states of all the senators, and had to be able to recognize them by sight.
The position, which is only open to high school juniors and seniors, involves a lot of leg work. Pages run errands, and get to ride in a subway that links three government buildings. The subway is off limits to the general public. “It’s not the most important job in the capital,” Pierce admitted, “but it’s an awesome experience.”
He was on the floor when Sen. Sanders argued against an increase in the military budget and when Sen. Marco Rubio shared his opinion on immigration.
Pierce got a quick glimpse of Pres. Trump when he came to the Senate. But the teenager was off on assignments during visits from Bill Gates and Actor Chris Pine. He still got to hob nob with some of our nation’s leaders, “A lot of the senators take the time to talk to you,” he said. “And the government employees were really nice to us.”
Pierce wore a uniform and carried a federal ID card. Besides working 10-hour days, he and the others got to tour the capitol and attend a few parties. They couldn’t attend a Democratic policy lunch (since the information was confidential), but Sen. Cory Booker didn’t forget them. Before the lunch was over, he came out with cake for all the pages.
Pierce’s paycheck for the three weeks included deductions for taxes, lodging and uniforms. There wasn’t too much left. But Pierce wasn’t complaining. “I would have paid to do it,” he said.
He’ll be going back in August.