Jonathan Earley, 14, was able to answer the age-old question about party politics after his work as a page in the House of Delegates during this year’s legislative session. "Democrats give better tips," said Jonathan, a resident of the City of Fairfax.
During the six weeks of the Virginia General Assembly, Jonathan was one of a group of young teens who help keep debates moving on the floors of both the House and Senate. "It was very fun, and it was a great experience for me," Jonathan said. "I got to meet all the delegates first hand."
All the while, the pages had a close-up look at the way government works. Discussions of the different issues, Jonathan said, are usually in more depth than many people think. "I think if they go on the House floor, they’ll see more than they read in the press," he said.
Earley was recommended for the position last May by Del. J. Chapman "Chap" Petersen (D-37). "I think he represented Fairfax very well," Petersen said. "He was bright and enthusiastic."
Over the summer and fall, Jonathan filled out the necessary applications before being chosen. Jonathan, whose mother Patrice Winter serves on the Fairfax City Council, has an interest in politics and wanted to get a closer look at the process. "I wanted to see what it was actually like to work down in Richmond and to see if I was interested in politics in the future," Jonathan said.
JONATHAN WAS most surprised by the reaction of his peers to pages. "I didn’t expect how much they look up to you," Jonathan said. Other people their age would come to Richmond and see the pages at work. "They wanted to do what we did," he said. "I think they saw us as role models for them."
The pages ferry lunches to delegates and senators from the cafeteria in the basement of the Capitol, and distribute copies of documents to the legislators. "They’re kind of a low-tech service system," Petersen said. They are paid $130 per week in salary, plus a food allowance of $125 per week, plus tips.
For the first half of the session, Jonathan worked on the House floor delivering lunches and papers. For the second half of the session, Jonathan worked in the copy room, which he said was his least favorite part of the job.
AFTER PUTTING in a day of work on the floor, the students were all taken to a study hall from 7-9 p.m., where they would do their homework. In Jonathan’s case, his mother would bring the work to him each week.
Jonathan stayed at the Omni Richmond Hotel during the week, with a roommate, Josh Cole of Fredricksburg. The teens had to eat out all three meals every day.
"It’s a fantastic experience for them," said Winter. "It’s almost like going to college four-five years early. There’s a lot of responsibility."
But not everything was responsibility. The pages had an unofficial contest to see who could collect the most lapel pins. House rules mandate that only two may be displayed at a time, so Jonathan, who collected 16 pins, and other pages would hide the pins under their lapels.
On the Senate side, Jonathan said, pages are allowed to display more pins, and they typically have more.
The pages were also taken on a cruise on the James River near the end of the session, The Capitol Police escorted the teens on the trip, which Jonathan said was his favorite moment of the session. "It was one of the few times that we were all together at once," Jonathan said.
Typically, pages are only permitted to spend one session in Richmond, but Jonathan is trying for just one more. "I’m signing up to be head page," he said. "I’ll find out in November."