By Vernon Robison
Moapa Valley Progress
Upcoming MVHS junior, Kalene Gongos, served for a month this summer as a Senate page in the Capitol building in Washington D.C. She brought back a wealth of experiences and stories that she won’t soon forget.
“My experience in Washington DC was absolutely amazing,” Gongos said. “It was probably the best thing I’ve ever done in my life. I got to prove to everyone that I was responsible and I got to do something very important.”
The Senate page program allows 16-17 year old high school students an opportunity to live and work for a time on Capitol Hill in Washington D.C. During their work shifts, the Pages work right on the floor of the Senate. Her duties included preparing the Senate Chamber for sessions, taking messages to Senators or calling them to the phone, carrying bills and amendments to designated places and retrieving lecterns, easels staff chairs and water for Senators and clerks.
“I loved sitting on the roster and listening to the Senators speak and debate,” Gongos said. “I thought it was absolutely amazing.”
While there, Gongos even developed a group of her favorite Senators. These included people like Sherrod Brown (Ohio), Bill Nelson (Florida), Bernie Sanders (Vermont), John Thune (South Dakota) and, of course, Senator Harry Reid who was her sponsor.
Gongos was serving as page in the Senate during the time of the funeral of Senator Robert Byrd (W. Virginia). Byrd’s casket was ceremoniously displayed, for a time, on the Senate floor where Byrd had served as Senator for 51 years. “It was only the second time in history that there was a casket on the Senate floor,” Gongos said. “If a casket is (displayed) in the Capitol Building it is usually placed in the Rotunda.”
“I never got to see or hear Senator Byrd speak,” Gongos continued. “But I heard that he was an amazing man. He inspired so many Senators. His memorial was beautiful and I was lucky to be there for that historical moment.”
Gongos expressed appreciation to those who had made her experience possible. These included MVHS Principal Grant Hanevold, local attorney Byron Mills and members of The Democratic Party of Mesquite who had written letters of recommendation in her behalf; and also to Senator Harry Reid for sponsoring her in the program. “Without all of their support I wouldn’t have gotten a chance to go to DC,” she said. “I thank them very much for their help, it means a lot to me.”
