At club event, teens rule Congress

The usual clientele at the Hyatt Regency in Washington's were replaced by teenagers this past weekend as high school students descended on the nation's capital to participate in Princeton Model Congress.

The latest congregation of the Princeton Model Congress (PMC), which was established in 1982, drew more than 1,100 students from high schools across the country. "We had a record number of participants this year," said Kerry Vaughan '08, executive director of PMC. "Congress has been absolutely amazing."

One of the oldest programs of its kind in existence today, PMC is divided into four distinct congresses, each with six Senate and seven House committees. Students bring and debate bills pertinent to their individual interests and designated teams.

"Everything was discussed," director of programs Kit Tollerson '08 said. "Every topic in modern and contemporary politics you can imagine."

Those bills that are well-liked in the committees are brought before full sessions, where the Senate or the House of Representatives convene. The outstanding few, culled from the thousand-odd proposals, are presented to the model president for approval.

In addition to the congresses, PMC hosts a small number of special programs, including the Supreme Court, press corps and presidential cabinet.

"Supreme Court looks at the various legal appeals that arise over the course of the conference, and Press Corps keeps tabs on the activities of each congress," Vaughan said. "The job of the Princetonian staff is to make sure that all the different pieces of Congress run smoothly."

"We aim to teach these students how to debate with clarity and sophistication," she added. "We encourage all political enthusiasts to participate and contribute."

Washington schools have historically been the most strongly represented in PMC, though Florida and California have had strong representation in recent conventions. Students from several disadvantaged schools from Trenton and New York have also attended with funding from PMC's Outreach Program.

In the free-for-all of PMC, topics range from euthanasia to welfare agendas, from education to trade with Cuba. The past few years, however, have seen a growing favoritism toward issues of gay rights, alternative fuels and, predictably, funding for the controversial war in Iraq.

Inspiration from fresh, current events can be gauged by the ebb and flow in the popularity of certain themes. Elections — an expected issue given the recent highly partisan midterm elections — were heavily disputed in this last round of PMC.

"I feel that the participants were passionate about the matter because it had just happened, and now there is a whole new perspective to government open to exploration," Vaughan said.

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The conferences entail more than just debates about contemporary matters, however. Tollerson recalled an unusual bill that advanced to full sessions this past weekend. The bill shut down NASA on the rationale that "nothing useful has ever come from outer space."

"The boy was able to put his idea through to his audience by the sheer power of his charisma," Tollerson said, referring to the student who introduced and backed the bill.

Vaughan recounted a similar, tongue-in-cheek argument which claimed that only men could be legitimate holders of driver's licenses. "Once in a while kids come up with outrageous ideas. Their peers love it, and we, as staff, also appreciate such humor as a change in pace. We support what creative, lighthearted topics that come our way."

"We're already looking forward to our next conference," she added.