U.S. Senator Murray visits college and high school

Published 7:51 am Friday, February 22, 2008

When U.S. Senator Patty Murray, D-Shoreline, visited Shorewood High School on Friday, Dec. 6, she was met with eager hands and burning questions.

“It was really cool that she would take time out of her day to talk with us, and high school students can be pretty honest and brutal,” junior Maia Bauman said.

The visit was part of a series Murray has been doing lately, including a visit the same morning to Shoreline Community College. Murray has a personal connection to Shorewood, as her daughter attended the high school several years ago and at one point served on the school board.

During the presentation, Murray told the students they could ask her about new and old issues, and that she was interested in hearing what they were concerned about. Questions from students included how Murray voted on the Patriot Act and why, transportation, cloning and eugenics, U.S. action against Iraq, public access for forest land use and many others.

Bauman and the other students who filled the school’s auditorium said that overall, they were pleased that Murray made herself available for their questions, even if they didn’t always agree with her answers.

“I felt like she skirted around some of the questions and didn’t answer directly,” Bauman said. “But I understand that she is a politician and they do that.”

Junior Jessica Creelman said that what made her interested in hearing Murray’s presentation was the local connection.

“I knew she had lived in our community … and therefore had interests in our community,” Creelman said. “I didn’t agree with everything she had to say, but then again, no one will. I’m just glad she wanted to hear what our generation had to say,” Creelman said.