My Experience as a Maryland General Assembly Student Page

By Lynelle Essilfie, Editor in Chief

For the first time since the lockdown, the Maryland General Assembly opened its doors to Student Pages around the state. After an application process, I earned a place to serve as a Student Page from February 20 to 25. I worked alongside 13 other students, representing Montgomery, Prince Georges, Calvert, Washington, Kent, Cecil, Hartford, Carrol, and Charles Counties.

The General Assembly has two houses, similar to the Senate and House of Representatives at the federal level: a Senate and a House of Delegates. I was placed in the House of Delegates to assist with gathering needed materials for the delegates. I could be alerted to make a coffee, bring a paper, or deliver a message at the push of a button on their desk.

The MGA has sessions for 90 consecutive days beginning in the second week of January with no holiday breaks, so when most were home for Presidents day, the Page Coordinator, Dr. Tawana Offer, and Senate Chief Page, Rochelle Thompson, prepped us for our week of paging.

On Monday, the House session started at 8 am with Jessica M. Feldmark, a delegate from Howard County’s district 12A, delivering a speech about George Washington to commemorate President’s Day, highlighting his negative past and powerful legacy. I live in Howard County’s 13th District, so Feldmark is not my delegate, but she was still excited to speak with me. All showed a sense of energy, as the senators and representatives loved any opportunity to talk with pages and impart their wisdom. While working near the Delegate lounge’s doors all week, many smiling faces asked my fellow pages and me about our plans for the future.

Daily sessions ran for roughly an hour to an hour and a half maximum, starting with bill readings. Any bill on its third reading was ready for a vote by the members. Every bill passed this week, with many receiving “yeahs” from every house member. Political parties and partisanship are minor hindrances on the state level, unlike the federal level. Members of both parties sided together on issues and often talked outside the House.

One of the many presentations I heard outside the session was a duo performance called the “Jack and Jill Show” from Calvert County and St. Mary’s County’s Republican Senator Jack Bailey and Baltimore City’s Democratic Senator Jill Carter. The two spoke about their unlikely friendship as two members of opposite parties and vastly different areas of Maryland. Learning about this relationship was one of many invaluable experiences while serving as a page.

Members of the MGA are unlike what most would expect from politicians; they are working-class individuals who live in their community and hold their positions to enact change, not wield power. “The power lies with the people.” An overused sentiment but a genuine truth.

After the session and presentation, I attended committee meetings with the other pages. Committee meetings are open to all people to testify about issues impacting them and show their support for the legislation. On my fourth day, the Ways and Means Committee discussed bills impacting education. Several high school students, including a junior from Montgomery High School, testified to show their support for the proposed bill HB0628 (SB0557) Primary and Secondary Education – Breakfast and Lunch Programs – Universal Expansion to provide free breakfast and lunch to all public-school students similar to during the 2020 – 2021 school year.

The issues discussed at the MGA impact people our age, and we can share our opinion and experiences if we choose. The MGA website has more information for those interested in testifying.

Serving as a Page allowed me to meet many interesting people and see a new side of government. It is not the resting place of old white men on the verge of retirement but a diverse collection of individuals who want to better their communities. I am very eager to go back for my second week in April. I’ll return for the second to last week of the session, so I will likely witness more heated debating and see some different personalities emerge; nonetheless, I am excited.