Steve Alger is one of the unsung heroes around the Capitol. Steve, a former high school teacher from Kenyon, Minnesota, was recruited about ten years ago by former Speaker Steve Sviggum to lead the high school page program. Steve packs the pages' schedule tight each week so the students learn about every aspect of the legislative process—they meet with their own legislators, learn about the legislative process, see lobbyists in action, attend committee hearings, meet the Secretary of State, and, of course, serve as pages on the House floor.
The high school pages usually spend a little time in the Library during their week at the Capitol researching a bill for a mock committee hearing. Most groups are very interested in the topics they are researching--a recent group included very enthusiastic researchers—they had a million questions for the librarians.
Articles about the high school page program and about Steve were published in Session Weekly a few years ago.
The 2010 high school page program ends today for this legislative session. See you next year, Steve!