HODGDON, Maine — It is not every day that high school students get a chance to visit with a sitting United States Senator.
But thanks to the wonders of technology, Hodgdon High School freshmen in Brian Fitzpatrick’s American civics class had the opportunity to video conference with Sen. Angus King Nov. 19 as part of King’s “Capitol Class” initiative.
King has been holding “Skype” sessions with high schools since taking office in 2013. It is his goal, according to local media representative Sharon Campbell, to conduct these video sessions with every high school in the state.
“I remembered hearing Sen. King say he was going to do these classes,” Fitzpatrick said. “So, I contacted Sharon and we set it up.”
Fitzpatrick said the timing of the video chat fit in nicely with the recent topics being discussed in the classroom.
“We have been discussing representative democracy and how their voice can be heard in Washington,” the teacher explained. “The students all felt like there was a real disconnect between their voice, because they are not of voting age. So we discussed all the things, as youth, that they can do. So this session fit in perfectly.”
Students were able to come up their own questions, but Fitzpatrick screened them. The students posed a variety of though-provoking questions to Sen. King on topics ranging from national issues to those with a more local flavor.
Among the queries posed were: “How do you think President Obama and Congress has handled the Ebola crisis and do you think that New Jersey, Maine and other states are handling the quarantine situation well enough?” and “Your role as an independent in this current Congress was closely monitored at times of critical votes on the floor. With the Republicans taking control of the Senate in January, how do you see your role changing and what goals do you have for the next session?”
The session was greatly appreciated by the students.
“Our afternoon with Sen. King was anything by ordinary,” said Hailey Heath. “The senator sounded genuinely eager to meet with our civics class and share his thoughts about current affairs and political advances. Sen. King is very friendly and down to earth. He joked with us, laughed with us and thoroughly put us in his daily schedule. We enjoyed his structured and strong answers to our questions. He was very open about his answers and was not afraid to share his beliefs and political stances.”
“The senator made it very easy to ask questions,” added Dylan Oliver. “It was a comfortable setting and he seemed to sincerely be concerned with our questions and answers. He was very encouraging and honest with our class. He showed us that politicians aren’t as vicious and close-minded as they seem.”
“It’s always great to talk with motivated and thoughtful Maine students, and the young men and women at Hodgdon High School certainly fit that description,” Sen. King said. “Mr. Fitzpatrick’s students were well-prepared, asked insightful and challenging questions and demonstrated that Maine has a very bright future. These video conferences are a lot of fun for me, and I hope the group in Hodgdon enjoyed it as much as I did!”
