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Sheffield seniors participate in Senator for a Day program

Photo submitted to Times Observer Five seniors from Sheffield Area High School participated in Pennsylvania Sen. Scott Hutchinson’s 2020 Senator for a Day program March 5 at Clarion University. From left are Hutchinson, Chyann Rose, Walker Kyler, Marissa Grubbs, Carter O’Donnell, Ashley Frederick, senior class advisor Sarah Connolly, and State Rep. Kathy Rapp.

Sen. Scott Hutchinson (R-21) is giving some students a look at what his job entails.

During his annual Senator for a Day program in early March, Hutchinson invited students from the senatorial district, including most of Warren County, to Clarion University to experience some of the responsibilities of the state legislature.

The state’s 21st senatorial district, which Hutchinson has served since 2013, includes most of Warren County, all of Clarion, Forest, and Venango counties, and a portion of Butler County.

Students from all over the district participated in the event, including five seniors from Sheffield Area High School: Chyann Rose, Walker Kyler, Marissa Grubbs, Carter O’Donnell, Ashley Frederick.

“My students were put into committees based on different topics – health and human services, state government, communications and technology, judiciary, and labor and industry — and were given two created bills,” Advisor Sarah Connolly said. “They then worked with students from other high schools to make amendments to the bills so they could be presented to the general assembly for voting.”

Photo submitted to Times Observer Sheffield Area High School senior Carter O’Donnell was selected as President Pro Tempore of Sen. Scott Hutchinson’s annual Senator for a Day program.

Hutchinson was joined by State Rep. Kathy Rapp (R-65) and “various legislators from the area, lobbyists.” Those experts ran the committees, advised, and generally spent time with the students.

Out of all of the students at the event, O’Donnell was named President Pro Tempore of the event.

“With Carter being chosen as president pro tem, he got to call the general assembly to order, call on the other student ‘senators’ to ask questions and present the amendments and bills,” Connolly said.

“Overall, they got an inside view of how legislative and state government works, from the bills and committees, to the amendment process, and general assembly voting,” Connolly said. “Sheffield was the only school from Warren County to attend and we have been going for many years. I think it’s a great experience for them and they all said that they enjoyed it.”

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