Cyberfair '02
Carpinteria, California, USA

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Tour Of Our State Capitol Building

By Jessica Perez

Main School was selected to represent Region 8 of the California Assistance Technology Program at the State Capitol Convention Center March 11th, 2002. Students from all over California presented at this Technology Showcase. The five students from Main School that went were Julia Callender, Alex Huang, Nicole Pearce, Nadirah Porter and myself Jessica Perez. We went with our computer teacher Mrs. Cole and our 5th grade teacher Mr. Riley along with Jan Marholin our district Technology Coordinator and two parent volunteers Mr. Huang (our photographer) and Mrs. Callender.

During our trip to Sacramento we visited the State Capitol Building and we got a V.I.P. tour. Our tour guide was John Reagan and, in our opinion, he was the best tour guide in history. We got taken to places that the public usually doesn't get to go. We learned very interesting facts about the various places within the building. The governor's office, which is the main office, was almost demolished by the big earthquake that hit San Francisco. We got to in to the governor's office except we didn't get to meet him because he wasn't there.

In the senate and assembly chamber there is a chandelier that weighs 600 pounds. They are made out of Czechoslovakian lead crystal. The two chairs at the head of the chambers are symbolic to the monarchy of England. The two desks that lay at the head of the chambers date back to the first legislative session back in 1869. A carpenter named John Brunner made the desks in about 1869 made the desks. The chambers have a more modern look with the laptops for both the senate and assembly members. He took us in to the Senate and the Assembly room. The Senate room had red carpet, which stands for royalty, and the assembly room has green carpet, which stands for common people. The senate room has a Greek/Roman theme to it. In the Senate room there is a large picture of George Washington, above his picture is a statue of a Greek goddess known as Minerva. The pillars are Greek and have twenty-four karat gold painted on them.

There are 40 state senators. The Senators run for a for a four year term and in each term they represent over 800,000 citizens in the district that they represent. The senators vote by roll call instead of electronically. Their names are called in alphabetical order and they say either "aye" or "no". Their votes are then recorded and put up on the electronic panel.

There are eighty members in the assembly. Unlike the Senators the Assembly member only runs for two years and they only represent 400,000 citizens that are in their district. Also unlike the Senate they vote electronically by pushing on a green button which stands for "yes'' or pushing a red button for "no". We got to go in to the governor's office except we didn't meet him because he wasn't there. We got taken in to places where the public usually doesn't get to go.