060305 Model Congress addresses key political issues

The United States Congress has been in the news steadily due to the numerous controversial issues that are confronting the American public today. Some of these issues are Social Security reform, stem cell research, gay marriages, the Iraqi war, the budget deficit, and the Senate filibustering. Similarly, Fox Lane High School has been monitoring and simulating the United States Congress through its club known as Model Congress.

Model Congress helps students learn about local, state, and national problems and how laws are enacted. They create solutions for the challenges of society. At their weekly meetings on Wednesday evenings at Fox Lane High School, its members learn the skills of identifying the important political issues, develop writing skills, and learn how to speak and argue for their cause. The club members must use parliamentary procedure to make sure that there is fairness in debate and there-fore develop public speaking skills. Depending on the conference, students represent different political parties and different U.S. geographical locations.

This has been the first year of Model Congress at Fox Lane High School. Mrs. Schamberg, the assistant principal, suggested to a group of students that this would be an

excellent opportunity for students who enjoy politics and debate. At Mrs. Schamberg's previous school, Ramapo High School, they were very active and successful in Model Congress. The students did not take long to establish the club and get members actively involved. The leaders of Model Congress are Reed Branson, Angela Bueti, Joe Charalel, and Connor Stewart, who are all members of the junior class. The advisers are Mr. Groeger and Mr. Martinez, along with Mrs. Schamberg as the experienced men-tor.

To prepare for conferences, the students needed to do research and understand the workings of Congress. At times, it meant doing a lot of extra work besides their day-to-day schoolwork. "Some members spend three to four hours researching about the bill," explained Connor Stewart. When the club decides on a conference, they register the students with their priorities and interests. Once they have been accepted, the real work begins. "You must be passionate about your topic along with knowing all aspects of the

issue," says Reed Branson. Some Fox Lane students submit bills for the conference. Throughout the year, Model Congress attended several conferences. Yale Model Congress was their first official conference in November. There, the students got their feet wet, meeting in caucuses and committees, voting on resolutions and bills, debating in a mock session, and trying to get bills approved. They received the award for Best Small Delegation. Connor Stewart received an honorable mention, and Joe Charalel received a gavel for Best Delegate. Even though the students were hesitant and uncertain of their abilities, they proved to outshine the other delegates and were able to get the job done in Congress.

The next conference that the Fox Lane Model Congress attended was at Princeton University. This is the oldest Model Congress in the nation. It brings students from all over the United States to debate. Princeton Model Congress elects a president at the opening ceremony, and they have a model presidential Cabinet along with a Supreme Court and a press

corps. They divide Congress into Red, White, Blue, and Orange, with six Senate committees and seven House committees. All bills that are passed are sent to the Princeton Model Congress president and can be either signed or vetoed. Morgan Fowler and Connor Stewart received honorable mentions at this conference.

At the University of Pennsylvania Conference, Connor Stewart, Reed Branson, and Matt Jordan received honorable mentions. At their final conference, which was held at Columbia University, Harrison Cook, a ninth grader, received a gavel for Best Delegate, and Daniela Cinali received an honorable mention. "Our goal is to continue to attend conferences, learn, and expand our horizons. We have been fortunate enough to get funding for our busing from Dr. Diane Ramos-Kelly," explained Angela Bueti.

It is very admirable that Fox Lane students are being recognized for their talents, but we need to look at the bigger picture. We need to train people so that they can work with each other in building a better America. It seems that it takes Congress a very long time to pass any legislation, and they are hampered by politics instead of by issues. I hope that the members of Model Congress will one day lead us to solve our many challenges.