Senate page report: Experience gained, friends made

The first six weeks of the Idaho State Senate Page Program concluded Feb. 20.

Coeur d'Alene High School senior Shayla Tyler is back home with a whole new perspective on what it takes to run the Gem State.

"My experience was really great. I had such a fun time," Shayla said Tuesday, adding how she enjoyed learning "that the senators aren't just senators, but they're real people."

Shayla was a page for the Idaho Senate Transportation Committee, helping wherever she was needed.

"One time one of the senators got candy all over a computer and I just cleaned it up," she said.

When discussing and debating a tax bill, Shayla learned how difficult it can be for elected officials to make decisions that affect an entire state's population.

"They just want to do what's best for the people, which was really interesting because I don't know what I would have chosen if I was senator," she said.

Shayla was among the pages who were introduced to Gov. Brad Little.

"I did get to meet a lot of interesting people, like miners and people working for the University of Idaho and farmers that came to the Capitol" to promote and advocate for their interests, she said.

While it was a foray into the world of politics, participating in the page program also served as a social experience for Tyler to connect with people from all over Idaho.

"I think my favorite part, or the highlight, was probably the ice cream social where the pages put on a little ice cream party and people came up and we just got to talk to them," she said.

The program provided a plethora of fun activities and complimentary food to keep the pages busy and well-fed.

"We went go-kart racing," Tyler said. "We raced against senators and representatives."

The pages enjoyed decorating the assistant sergeant-at-arms' office for his birthday, Tyler said. They also made valentines and handed them out on Valentine's Day.

Outgoing pages trained incoming ones Feb. 19 and 20. Tyler said she would recommend this program to any young person who is exploring career paths.

"Everybody's super helpful and kind," she said. "They will give you good recommendation letters and talk to you like a person. You get more informed about the government, because I definitely did not know everything that was going on until now.

"It's very much a community of people that's very welcoming and wants people to enjoy being there."

    Coeur d'Alene High School senior Shayla Tyler, second from right, prepares for a Valentine's Day party with her fellow pages, including Lakeland High School senior Amanda Olson, third from right, during the first six weeks of the Idaho Senate Page Program in Boise. The program ended Feb. 20. A new wave of pages will assist senators during the next six weeks of the legislative session.