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Hutchison appoints teen to serve as 2008 Senate page
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| Huey Fischer |
By NORMA MARTINEZ, Managing Editor
Huey Fischer, a 16-year-old Rockport-Fulton High School (RFHS) junior, has been selected to serve in the Senate Page program this fall, beginning Sept. 8, according to information from U.S. Sen. Kay Bailey Hutchison's office.
For more than 100 years, messengers known as pages have served the United States Senate. The Senate Page Program educates students in the daily operation of the U.S. Senate and enables them to witness firsthand the political process of the Senate. Pages are appointed and sponsored by a member of the Senate and must be high school juniors and at least 16.
Page duties consist primarily of delivery of correspondence and legislative material within the Congressional complex. Other duties include preparing the chamber for Senate sessions, and carrying bills and amendments to the desk. Pages also attend classes in the early morning at the United States Senate Page School. The program is highly competitive, as there are only 30 page positions in the chamber to serve all 100 senators.
Fischer is the only page selected from the State of Texas.
In announcing his selection, Hutchison said, “Huey has demonstrated resourcefulness, a deep interest in the political process and the capability to be a tremendous Senate page.”
She added, “I am delighted he's going to join us in Washington, D.C. and get his first glimpse of American politics in action from the very special vantage point of the Senate floor. It is a unique honor to be selected as a page, and I wish him much success in this opportunity and many others to come.”
The young man leaves at the end of the week to join the other 29 pages selected. He has never been to Washington D.C. before and said he is looking forward to “meeting all the celebrity politicians.”
He is most looking forward to getting the behind the scenes look and a better understanding of how politicians really are and what truly takes place on Capitol Hill.
Fischer's day will begin at 6:15 a.m. when he will attend classes, taking four core subjects. They attend school about four hours then head to work, Fischer explained.
“I heard it's really vigorous,” he added.
Fischer said he heard about the program and decided to apply. He is excited as well as nervous, not knowing what to expect.
His biggest apprehension is the fact he has to leave Rockport and his school in the middle of the year. He admits, however, he believes it will be worth it at the end of the four months.
Contact with his family, father Steve and sister Hattie, will be limited however, as pages are not allowed to have cell phones or Internet sites such as myspace or facebook. He will be able to communicate on a land line as provided by the program. He also cannot use his own email, but must correspond only through the email he will be given.
To keep home in mind, the young man plans to take some Rockport shirts with him to wear when he is not working.
Fischer said his application was aided with letters of recommendation from Sheriff Mark Gilliam, former Rockport City councilman L.J. “Dup” Duplichan, State Rep. Juan Garcia, and his RFHS English teacher Jennifer Belcher.
Hutchison pointed out Fischer is a high-school athlete and scholar and has demonstrated leadership in his school and his community. He is a member of the National Honor Society, the University Interscholastic League (UIL) academic team, serves on the Rockport-Fulton High School journalism and yearbook staff, and is a varsity swimmer. In the community, he participates in the Rockport-Fulton Chamber of Commerce's Junior Bay Blazers.
The young man recently was awarded first place in the State Bar of Texas You Tube Video contest for a video he produced about “Texans and Justice.” All entries were judged and winners were chosen by the Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice and a Court TV legal analyst.
Fischer has also received awards at the regional UIL meet and for swimming with the RFHS varsity swimming team.
For more than 100 years, messengers known as pages have served the United States Senate. The Senate Page Program educates students in the daily operation of the U.S. Senate and enables them to witness firsthand the political process of the Senate. Pages are appointed and sponsored by a member of the Senate and must be high school juniors and at least 16.
Page duties consist primarily of delivery of correspondence and legislative material within the Congressional complex. Other duties include preparing the chamber for Senate sessions, and carrying bills and amendments to the desk. Pages also attend classes in the early morning at the United States Senate Page School. The program is highly competitive, as there are only 30 page positions in the chamber to serve all 100 senators.
Fischer is the only page selected from the State of Texas.
In announcing his selection, Hutchison said, “Huey has demonstrated resourcefulness, a deep interest in the political process and the capability to be a tremendous Senate page.”
She added, “I am delighted he's going to join us in Washington, D.C. and get his first glimpse of American politics in action from the very special vantage point of the Senate floor. It is a unique honor to be selected as a page, and I wish him much success in this opportunity and many others to come.”
The young man leaves at the end of the week to join the other 29 pages selected. He has never been to Washington D.C. before and said he is looking forward to “meeting all the celebrity politicians.”
He is most looking forward to getting the behind the scenes look and a better understanding of how politicians really are and what truly takes place on Capitol Hill.
Fischer's day will begin at 6:15 a.m. when he will attend classes, taking four core subjects. They attend school about four hours then head to work, Fischer explained.
“I heard it's really vigorous,” he added.
Fischer said he heard about the program and decided to apply. He is excited as well as nervous, not knowing what to expect.
His biggest apprehension is the fact he has to leave Rockport and his school in the middle of the year. He admits, however, he believes it will be worth it at the end of the four months.
Contact with his family, father Steve and sister Hattie, will be limited however, as pages are not allowed to have cell phones or Internet sites such as myspace or facebook. He will be able to communicate on a land line as provided by the program. He also cannot use his own email, but must correspond only through the email he will be given.
To keep home in mind, the young man plans to take some Rockport shirts with him to wear when he is not working.
Fischer said his application was aided with letters of recommendation from Sheriff Mark Gilliam, former Rockport City councilman L.J. “Dup” Duplichan, State Rep. Juan Garcia, and his RFHS English teacher Jennifer Belcher.
Hutchison pointed out Fischer is a high-school athlete and scholar and has demonstrated leadership in his school and his community. He is a member of the National Honor Society, the University Interscholastic League (UIL) academic team, serves on the Rockport-Fulton High School journalism and yearbook staff, and is a varsity swimmer. In the community, he participates in the Rockport-Fulton Chamber of Commerce's Junior Bay Blazers.
The young man recently was awarded first place in the State Bar of Texas You Tube Video contest for a video he produced about “Texans and Justice.” All entries were judged and winners were chosen by the Texas Supreme Court Chief Justice and a Court TV legal analyst.
Fischer has also received awards at the regional UIL meet and for swimming with the RFHS varsity swimming team.
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ZAGDA wrote on Feb 14, 2009 3:53 PM:
Instead of presenting this to the scientific world in a peer reviewed journal, these guys publish it in this book in an attempt to sway public opinion. I could go on as many of the statements in this article are misleading, or blatantly ludicrous. Suffice it to say, it looks to me like this book is much more about influencing public opinion than any scientific review of whether human activity is causing climate change.
It is sad some people will believe this as fact. "