By Lisa Wilcox
Staff Writer
CARIBOU, Maine — U.S. Senator Angus King held a video conference with sophomore students in English teacher Alana Margeson’s classroom at Caribou High School as part of his ongoing Capitol Class with Angus series last Wednesday. During the 30-minute session, seven students got to speak with King one-on-one, asking the senator questions about topics including how he prepares his speeches, why he got involved in politics and his dedication to avoiding negative campaign tactics while running for the Senate.
“I was delighted to speak with the students and teachers up at Caribou High School. Their level of engagement and genuine interest was truly impressive,” said King following the session
According to Margeson, the students were enthusiastic about being able to “meet” a U.S. senator while at the same time hearing how someone who must communicate effectively with the public does so on a daily basis.
The students prepared by analyzing speeches from various time periods, everything from Patrick Henry’s “Give Me Liberty” speech to Dr. Randy Pausch’s “The Last Lecture,” in which the Carnegie Mellon University professor suffering from a terminal form of cancer teaches others how to live as he faces his own death. They also analyzed King’s speech announcing his intent to run for the U.S. Senate.
Throughout the course of his time in Washington, King hopes to connect with as many Maine high schools as possible in order to share with students his experiences as the state’s junior U.S. senator and to answer their questions about major issues facing the country.
“It’s important to find new and creative ways to engage our students, and I think advances in digital technology, like video conferencing, offer an incredible opportunity to connect our students to the vast world outside of the classroom,” King commented.
Margeson agreed that technological advances have enhanced the learning experience.
“Several of my colleagues at CHS have used Skype as a way to communicate with people from around the globe,” Margeson said. “Teachers in Africa, historians in California, authors throughout the U.S. I feel privileged to work with a staff that inspires me to branch out and find new ways to be innovative each day.”
Principal Mark Jones added, “Having a chance to Skype with Senator King was an exciting opportunity for our students and helped them to validate and make connections with what they have been learning in the classroom to real-world applications. We greatly appreciate Senator King taking the time to enrich our students’ educational experience.”
During the Skype session, King admitted to the students he still gets nervous before a speech. Ironically, he delivered his first speech on the floor of the U.S. Senate later on that same afternoon, which the students watched as a follow-up to their conversation with King.
