United States Senator Charles Grassley visited Woodward-Granger High School Wednesday morning as a part of his annual 99-County Tour.

Grassley addressed juniors and seniors in government classes in a question and answer session. The students were full of questions that ranged from equal pay for men and women in the workplace, to guns in schools, immigration and border security, marijuana legalization, and even the Senator’s feelings on the President. A big topic many students were interested in was a concern of rising tuition. Grassley agreed that it made little sense that costs for college have increased at three-times the rate of inflation. However, he admitted that Congress has little power to affect change in the matter, though he promised he’s doing all he can.

Woodward-Granger Government and Social Studies Teacher Andrew Hopper was excited to have the Senator talk to his students, as he felt it added some gravity to what he’s trying to teach them. “It’s sometimes hard to teach kids at this level why politics matter. Some of them are either not old enough to vote or right at that age to vote, but they don’t understand the importance of it. So anytime you can get kids interested in something like this by bringing in a guest speaker who lives and breathes it every day, I think it brings a lot more relevance to the kids.”

Grassley said he visits at least a dozen high schools every year, which he feels is a good way to get students more invested in government. He sees it as a way to supplement what the teachers and textbooks are trying to get across, while also making government feel more real.