In wake of recent events surrounding gun violence, some SHS students have decided to take action and make a change. Although we are unable to vote, we can still make a difference through voicing our opinions. One way to make such an impact is to contact Senators, expressing your support and sharing your perspective and ideas.  The New York Senators are Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand.  You can contact them by going to either of their websites, schumer.senate.gov or gillibrand.senate.gov, and then looking under ‘contact,’ where you will find extensive information on how to send them an email. Additionally, depending on where in Scarsdale you live, you can contact either Congresswoman Nita Lowey or Congressman Eliot Engel by going to lowey.house.gov or engel.house.gov, and again, looking under ‘contact’ to find their preferred method of communication. Progress has been made, but there is still a long way to go.

DO’s for Communicating with Senators and Representatives:

• IN A PHONE CALL:
  • DO introduce yourself and your area of residence
  • DO research before the call!
    • Have a specific bill number that you are ready to oppose
  • DO state your reasoning!
    • It is incredibly important to use a mixture of facts and opinions during this call
• IN A LETTER/ EMAIL:
  • DO write a personal letter rather than use a form, to be more efficient
  • DO state your purpose in the first paragraph
  • DO stick to the point and use examples to support your position
  • DO include your full name, address and telephone number 
•    IN PERSON:
  • DO keep it short and to the point!
  • DO say thank you!
    • Remember they didn’t have to meet with you at all!
  • DO shake hands and introduce yourself
  • DO maintain eye contact
  • DO research beforehand!
    • Know the timeline of projects and procedures and stick to your script
  • DO have a sheet to leave with the staff of Senator/Rep.
  • DO act professional!
  • DO get assistant of Senator/Representative’s email