Bethlehem student Henry Reichman can’t vote yet. But at age, he co-hosts a podcast, Generation Elect, to discuss topics like the Build Back Better bill.
He’s also written a book, “The Excitement Complex,” about the psychology behind why people get involved in politics.
“After 2020, which was a year that had so much political craziness, activism and just a lot of discourse around issues that we really never had covered before, venturing into unseen territory, I really wanted to write a book about how we think about the issues,” said Reichman.
Always politically interested, Reichman says the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections got him hooked. He often begins each day reading the New York Times in order to keep up with the latest happenings.
That’s why he applied for the U.S. Senate Youth Program.
It’s an immersive experience for high schoolers that counts former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and Transportation Sec. Pete Buttigieg as alumni.
“I have been interested in it for about a year. It’s a really tough application process, and there are a lot of hurdles you need to go through,” Reichman said.
Two high school students from each state are able to participate, with each receiving a $10,000 scholarship to a college of their choice. Reichman has been selected as one of New York’s representatives.
The program will be held virtually because of the pandemic, but will allow Reichman to hear from President Joe Biden and speak directly to the state’s senators.
“I cannot wait to pick their brains and talk to them and see what they have to say about politics, and get to know them and get to introduce myself to them,” Reichman said.
As for the future, Reichman said he is in the process of writing a couple new books and plans to study politics in college.
