There aren’t many high school juniors who can claim their after-school job gave them a chance to meet Al Gore and Dick Cheney, and put them in the same room with President George W.

Tuesday, July 17, 2001

There aren’t many high school juniors who can claim their after-school job gave them a chance to meet Al Gore and Dick Cheney, and put them in the same room with President George W. Bush when he gave his inaugural address to the nation.

But for Sarah Schleck of Albert Lea, who spent the past school year as a congressional page in the U.S. House of Representatives, it was all part of the job – a job she absolutely loved.

The daughter of Ann and Tom Schleck of Albert Lea had originally wanted to be a foreign exchange student. But when her mother suggested she apply to be a page instead, Sarah said she knew instantly it was what she wanted to do.

So she applied for the position in March of 2000, and was selected by First District Congressman Gil Gutknecht. He passed her name onto the Speaker of the House, who made the final decision.

The dormitory for the 72 congressional pages was located in the O’Neill House Office Building, right next to the Capitol. &uot;We’d walk out the door and see the dome of the Capitol. It’s very cool,&uot; she said.

Schleck’s days started with five classes beginning at 5:45 a.m. on the top floor of the Library of Congress building. &uot;They’d go until 9 or 11:30 a.m., depending on whether Congress was in session,&uot; she said. &uot;Some days we’d have 20-minute classes.&uot;

Right after arriving in Washington, D.C., Schleck was given a special job as documentarian. (The other documentarian, Barry Pump, was from Clear Lake, Iowa.) Documentarians sit next to the speaker’s chair, lay out copies of all the bills to be considered that day, control the bell system for votes and recesses, and raise and lower the flag over the House.

&uot;I worked later hours than the other pages, because I had to raise the flag when the House was in session, and lower it when it recessed,&uot; she said, adding sometimes that was at 11 p.m.

She was able to do her studying at her desk. &uot;Most of the time, what they are debating is pretty dry. They do a lot of naming of post offices,&uot; Schleck added with a smile.

Her favorite part of the job, she said, was raising and lowering the flag. &uot;There was this amazing view of the Mall. I love the city,&uot; she added.

Pages are also known as &uot;glorified gophers,&uot; and deliver a lot of messages as well as pick up flags that have flown over the capital and are later presented to people as gifts, Schleck said.

After experiencing government up close and personal, Schleck said she’s more optimistic about things.

&uot;I think our government is in able hands,&uot; she said. &uot;Things are being done on a bipartisan basis. These people have been elected to do a job and they’re doing what they have to do. A congressman may be busy running from place to place to get from appointment to appointment, but he’s still not too busy to stop and say hi.&uot;

Schleck related one humorous anecdote about helping a congressman put up charts one day. The congressman decided to introduce Schleck while she was working, and said, &uot;So, Sarah, how many pages are there?&uot;

&uot;I didn’t think it was a big deal, so I answered him,&uot; she said.

The next thing she knew, the speaker was pounding his gavel and people were chuckling. As it turns out, members are the only ones who can address the chamber, and Schleck’s comment had to be stricken from the record.

&uot;I was told I was probably the only page who’s ever addressed the chamber,&uot; she said.

The pages also took a few side trips to places like a play at the Kennedy Center for Performing Arts, Mount Vernon, the While House and hiking in the Shenandoah Valley.

&uot;But just to be able to walk on the House of Representatives’ floor without someone stopping me was really cool,&uot; she said, adding everyone knew pages by their gray slacks or skirts, navy blazers, white shirts and ties.

&uot;It was a great experience,&uot; she said. &uot;But it’s a program that’s not widely publicized or that many people know about.&uot;

Schleck plans to take classes this fall at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul through the Post-Secondary Options program.

&uot;Then I’ll possibly look at some East Coast colleges,&uot; she said, adding she plans to major in political science, but is leaning toward a career in foreign services or foreign diplomacy, especially after the trip to France she took with the Albert Lea High School French Club right after she got home from Washington in June.

&uot;There’s a lot of world out there, and I’d like to see it all,&uot; she said.