The Model Congress Club of MLWGS has been organizing Model Congress trips for students to allow them to participate in mock Congress debates, present their bills, and learn about the ways in which Congress works. It allows the younger generation to get connected to issues relating to America and learn about the aspects in which the American legislative branch is run. 

In anticipation of the club’s trip to attend Princeton’s Model Congress conference (PMC), seniors Audrey Paulson and Viktoria Matysiak, presidents of the MLWGS club, worked hard to prepare Maggie Walker students for the event. From helping the delegates write their bills to discussing everything related to the trip itinerary, Paulson and Matysiak assured that every student was well-prepared for the conference. Paulson stated, “The Monday before the conference, Viktoria and I held a PMC preparation meeting where we explained the proper parliamentary procedure and outlined the bill-writing process.” Paulson also explained how the entire PMC delegation “met the Wednesday before the conference to discuss general information relating to travel, costs, and chaperoning.”

 Unfortunately, both presidents were unable to attend PMC, but they ensured that everything was handled with perfection despite their absence. After the trip, they received positive feedback from many of the participants. They were glad that all of the students had a great experience. Matysiak said, “We were so glad to hear that everyone that attended was excited about the conference and future conferences, and we plan on using this experience as a learning opportunity for how to best prepare for any future Model Congress events.”

The Princeton Model Congress trip was organized by the current sponsor, Dr. Robert Lowerre. Twenty students participated in the trip and presented their bills. One of the delegates, sophomore Skye Cummings, shared her positive experience. “You get a ton of public speaking experience. I definitely got nervous at first, and it felt like doing speeches in FIRC English, but a lot more enjoyable.” When reflecting on the lessons she learned from the conference, she said, “The ability to speak and have persuasion in your voice was an important skill I understood. Also– the opportunity to work as a team and collaborate, and show mutual respect while being able to have an argument.”

 The delegates greatly enjoyed the conference because they had the opportunity to present their bills related to various current events around the world and their proposed solutions. Students felt like they were in a legitimate Congressional session when they got the chance to write an amendment or pass motions, ultimately fulfilling the purpose of the conference, as well as the goal of Maggie Walker club.