On  March 4, Pennsylvania’s 17th Congressional District Representative Conor Lamb paid a visit to Freedom High School. When he got to Freedom, he took part in a press conference hosted by the staff of both the FHS Press and Freedom Middle School’s newspaper, The Bulldog Barker. After that, he met with physics teacher Dr. Brian Wargo to talk about the high school’s Science Conference in May and stopped by to meet with the Beaver County Superintendents’ Legislative Committee.

Freedom Area Superintendent Jeffrey Fuller said, “Engaging in conversations like the one we had on Monday morning is so important to learning about our world, to thinking about the decisions that are being made at the highest levels of our government, and to taking an active role in society.”

Staff members of both publications questioned Lamb on a broad range of pressing topics. These topics included oppressive student loan debt, legalizing recreational marijuana, the effect a border wall will have on drug trafficking, overall border security and the current negative view of politics that is held by a large portion of America’s citizens.

Other students attending the event were also able to put in their thoughts. When Lamb was asked how his time in the U.S. Marine Corps influenced and inspired his political career and his life, he said “It really helped appreciate all of the different types of people that are out there. Everyone is thrown together and once that happens and everyone puts on the same uniform nobody cares about differences anymore.”

Students also broke away from the previously serious atmosphere of the press conference to ask him about his favorite rap song. Lamb affirmed that, among many other talented artists, “Wu-tang Clan” stood out in his eyes.

Communications teacher Bradley Baldwin said, “It was good exposure. I think students were able to connect with [Lamb.]”