Of course, there are Senate pages who might boast to their friends that they know a senator, but Sen. Carl Levin (D-Mich) is doing the bragging now about a page who comes from Northville, Michigan.—Jack Temple.

A press release issued by his office Friday, Jan. 14, explained the reason for Levin's pride: "Most high school awards ceremonies include a musical prelude, the presentation of  awards and a speech by a student. At the U.S. Senate Page School farewell reception today, one 
student, Jack Temple of Northville, did all three. Not only did Jack play keyboards in the Page 
School ensemble for the prelude, he also received three awards and gave remarks on behalf of his Page School class."

Templeton, who now returns to Michigan to complete 11th grade, took the awards from Senate Page School for political science-government; citizenship and the principal's award. He also gave a well-received speech on the challenges and awards of being a Senate page.

“Jack exemplifies the best in our Senate pages,” said Levin. “His well-rounded background of solid academic achievement and extracurricular activities will stand him in good stead as he continues his education. I am proud of his achievements and wish him much success in his future endeavors."

For students who would like to follow in Temple's footsteps, Levin provided the following material on his website:

Senate Page Duties

Page duties consist primarily of delivery of correspondence and legislative material within Capitol Hill. Other duties include taking messages for senators, calling them to the phone, preparing the chamber for Senate sessions, and carrying bills and amendments to the desk. A rotation system is practiced so that every page has an opportunity to experience all areas of service. Pages are paid on the basis of an annual salary of $16,240. 

There are four established page sessions. The academic year consists of two semesters that run from early September through mid-January and from mid-January through mid-June. The summer program consists of two sessions that are three or four weeks duration depending on the legislative calendar. 

Following classes at the Page School, which extend until 9:45 a.m. or one hour prior to the commencement of the Senate, pages report for duty to their respective cloakrooms and work until 4:00 p.m. or until the Senate adjourns for the day, whichever is later.

Requirements for selection: 

Pages must be citizens of the United States or subject to agreements of the Department of State, and must have a social security number. 
Page eligibility is limited to juniors in high school who will be 16 or 17 on or before the date of appointment. 
Pages must verify a minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a home school transcript and a certification of immunization to qualify for attendance at the school. 
A general health assessment completed by a licensed physician is required, in addition to certification of immunization. Pages play an important role in the day-to-day operation of the Senate. Their schedule can be long and tedious, and requires tremendous endurance; good health and stamina are requirements that cannot be waived. 
Pages must also be covered by health insurance; if not covered, they will be required to enroll in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program. 

Housing for Senate Pages

Pages are required to live in the Daniel Webster Senate Page Residence during the school year. The cost of living in the residence hall is $450 per month and includes breakfast and dinner each day. Payment is made through payroll deduction. An initial security deposit of $250 is required before checking in and is refundable when it has been determined that no damage has occurred to the residence. 

Webster Hall is located two blocks from the Hart Senate Office Building. Staff includes a program director, administrative aide and four proctors. Proctors reside in Webster Hall. Two floors encompass living quarters, one of which is designated for young women, the other for young men. Each floor has a community day room for social activity. 

Pages must share rooms with each other. Each room has closet space, a private bath and a telephone, which is shared by the pages. Laundry and kitchen facilities are provided within the building. 

Page Application Process

Applicants must submit the following: 

Application (generally available online through the website of senators of state where students live) 
Autobiography 
Sealed/official high school transcript 
Head shot photograph 
Recommendation letters from a teacher, principal or counselor 
Recommendation letter from an adult friend, neighbor, employer, etc. 

—Donald H. Harrison