READING – This month’s local TV report by Senator David G. Argall (R-Schuylkill/Berks) highlights the inaugural ‘Senator for a Day’ program for Berks County high school students. Argall, who represents northern and western portions of Berks County, held the first-ever Berks County student government seminar at Penn State’s Berks Campus.
“The government textbooks come to life for the students as they become ‘Senators’ for a few hours,” Argall said.
The November 19 event featured over 50 students from six Berks high schools, including Berks Catholic, Blue Mountain Academy, Conrad Weiser, Schuylkill Valley, Tulpehocken and Wilson.
Students are ‘sworn-in’ as Senators to start the program, and separate into four committees to debate and consider two mock Senate bills. The mock bills reflect actual legislation under review in the State Senate and House of Representatives, including local tax reform, education-related issues, welfare reform and others. The students are asked in advance to read news stories regarding the issues, oftentimes news reported from the state Capitol.
“Keeping the issues and debate relevant draws the most participation, and as the day rolls along, more and more students want to voice their opinions. This is an event I look forward to each year. We are already starting to plan the next Berks County ‘Senator for a Day’ event for later this year,” Argall said.
The program will air on:
- Blue Ridge Communications (Channel 13) every Monday at 10 a.m. and every Wednesday at 10:30 p.m.
- Comcast On-Demand on Channel 1 – Get Local – Government – State Senate.
- Reading (Channel 21) and Hamburg (Channel 19) every Monday at 3 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. and every Tuesday at 9 a.m.
- Service Electric (Channel 19) the 2nd and 4th Wednesday at 7 p.m.
- The program is available on Berks Community Television, Shen-Heights TV, Hazleton’s WLYN TV 35 and MetroCast Communications Channel 10. Please check local listings for air times.