Miss-Delectable
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NWAnews.com :: Northwest Arkansas' News Source
Ryheem Brown and Jerica Floyd admit they were nervous when they arrived at the state Capitol on Friday.
They were likely the first students in the history of the Arkansas School for the Deaf to serve as pages for the state House of Representatives, a teacher said. And - as far as folks at the Capitol recall - the first deaf students to ever serve as pages.
They carried notepads in case of any communication problems and had an interpreter just in case, but by the end of the abbreviated legislative session, they wanted more.
"It was too short; we wanted to keep going," said Floyd, 19, a senior from Vilonia, of the Legislative day that lasted about 15 minutes and included just two votes before lawmakers left for the weekend.
Floyd and Brown, who signed through an interpreter in an interview with the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, are the first of nine members of their class to serve as pages over the next several Fridays in the House.
They passed notes from staff members to legislators at their desks, handed out notices and generally made themselves useful - all while trying to get a handle on where each of the body's 100 members sits.
Everything went smoothly, Brown said, once the initial jitters subsided.
"It was awkward at first, figuring out where everyone sat, but I forgot that you're not supposed to walk in front [of a member's seat]," said the 18-year-old from Hot Springs, who is also an All-American Deaf running back.
But Floyd and Brown said they enjoyed being part of the process and working as a team.
That's the plan, said Wayne Levering, a first-year teacher at the school who had the idea of exposing his students to state government.
Levering said the school's location, six blocks from the Capitol, makes it a natural choice for interning opportunities.
"It was a no-brainer," he said.
Rep. Richard Carroll, a Green Party House member from North Little Rock, coordinated the effort to match the nine students, from around the state, with their appropriate representatives. All House members have 10 "page days" that they can dole out to their young constituents.
Carroll - whose 7-year-old son Conor has two cochlear implants to help improve his hearing - said he wanted local deaf students involved at the Capitol.
"They have to be part of society and to come here to the Legislature - that's the real world," Carroll said.
Buddy Johnson, House coordinator of Legislative Services, said that as far as he can tell, Floyd and Brown are the first deaf pages in state history. "It's pretty cool," he said.
Floyd and Brown enjoyed touring the Capitol, meeting lawmakers and staff members, but passed on the traditional Friday catfish frying in the basement cafeteria. It was personal pizza day back at school, after all.
And their brief time on the House floor didn't spark any dreams of political careers, either.
"I had fun helping out. But politics? I don't think so," Floyd said.
Ryheem Brown and Jerica Floyd admit they were nervous when they arrived at the state Capitol on Friday.
They were likely the first students in the history of the Arkansas School for the Deaf to serve as pages for the state House of Representatives, a teacher said. And - as far as folks at the Capitol recall - the first deaf students to ever serve as pages.
They carried notepads in case of any communication problems and had an interpreter just in case, but by the end of the abbreviated legislative session, they wanted more.
"It was too short; we wanted to keep going," said Floyd, 19, a senior from Vilonia, of the Legislative day that lasted about 15 minutes and included just two votes before lawmakers left for the weekend.
Floyd and Brown, who signed through an interpreter in an interview with the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, are the first of nine members of their class to serve as pages over the next several Fridays in the House.
They passed notes from staff members to legislators at their desks, handed out notices and generally made themselves useful - all while trying to get a handle on where each of the body's 100 members sits.
Everything went smoothly, Brown said, once the initial jitters subsided.
"It was awkward at first, figuring out where everyone sat, but I forgot that you're not supposed to walk in front [of a member's seat]," said the 18-year-old from Hot Springs, who is also an All-American Deaf running back.
But Floyd and Brown said they enjoyed being part of the process and working as a team.
That's the plan, said Wayne Levering, a first-year teacher at the school who had the idea of exposing his students to state government.
Levering said the school's location, six blocks from the Capitol, makes it a natural choice for interning opportunities.
"It was a no-brainer," he said.
Rep. Richard Carroll, a Green Party House member from North Little Rock, coordinated the effort to match the nine students, from around the state, with their appropriate representatives. All House members have 10 "page days" that they can dole out to their young constituents.
Carroll - whose 7-year-old son Conor has two cochlear implants to help improve his hearing - said he wanted local deaf students involved at the Capitol.
"They have to be part of society and to come here to the Legislature - that's the real world," Carroll said.
Buddy Johnson, House coordinator of Legislative Services, said that as far as he can tell, Floyd and Brown are the first deaf pages in state history. "It's pretty cool," he said.
Floyd and Brown enjoyed touring the Capitol, meeting lawmakers and staff members, but passed on the traditional Friday catfish frying in the basement cafeteria. It was personal pizza day back at school, after all.
And their brief time on the House floor didn't spark any dreams of political careers, either.
"I had fun helping out. But politics? I don't think so," Floyd said.