U. hosts weekend congress of aspiring lawmakers

Wearing a suit and tie and gripping a bill book tightly under his arm, Ross Albert stood in the basement of Williams Hall on Friday afternoon and sternly discussed his role as a representative to Congress. At 15, Albert might seem young to have such an aura of professionalism, but it was all part of the act he and 320 other students played this weekend when they arrived at Penn late last week for the third annual High School Model Congress Conference. The conference, held Thursday through Sunday and hosted by the University's own Model Congress organization, invited high school students across the nation to come to Penn and participate in a series of simulated debates based upon the procedures of the U.S. Congress. "While we are trying to have a very educational experience and learn about politics and debate? we also try to do it on Penn's campus, to show [the high school students] a glimpse of Penn life," event organizer and Wharton junior Jon Rosner explained. Rosner, the president of Penn's Model Congress, called the gathering of students a "broad cross-section" of private, public and parochial schools. Indeed, the several hundred students in attendance traveled to the University from eight states, ranging from Massachusetts to Nebraska. Before coming to the conference, students prepared sample congressional bills on a variety of issues according to their preferences. Proposed acts ranged from eliminating the capital gains tax to stopping the immigration of people into the United States who are HIV-positive. Throughout the weekend, students attended committee sessions and debated the proposed bills in a formal environment similar to that in which Congress conducts its own meetings. Students even maintained the same degree of formality in conversation, as they referred to themselves in the third person as "Representative" and "Speaker" and used the official language of the parliamentary rules of order to create a realistic simulation of congressional activities. But unlike other Model Congress conferences that often are held in bleak and impersonal government centers, Penn's conference -- held on campus -- boasted a lively college atmosphere that organizers said made the weekend more social. Rosner and his staff of roughly 45 Penn students worked hard to provide students with entertaining breaks from hours of concentrated debate. Highlights of the weekend included a Thursday night "mocktail" hour held at the Wyndham Franklin Hotel, a Friday night a cappella performance by Counterparts and a free Saturday afternoon that enabled students to explore downtown Philadelphia. Nadine Fatoussi, a high school senior from Great Neck, N.Y., said she thought the additional efforts of Penn's organizers made a huge difference in the overall conference experience. "This is my second year at the conference, and it's my favorite. [The organizers] foster a nice environment. I like that it's on campus, and that we get a feel for the school, so we're not just in the hotel room." And Albert, who is a sophomore from Great Neck, N.Y., added, "Penn is definitely part of this conference, and I think that they are doing a good job at showing us the sights and making us aware of a lot of the stuff Penn has to offer." Though it has been in existence for more than three years, Penn's Model Congress has yet to participate in a conference on the college level. Membership in Penn's Model Congress has risen from 22 to 45 students over the past few years. If membership continues to follow in this upward trend, according to Rosner, a college conference could be a definite possibility in the future. "It's great," Rosner said of the group's dynamic. "It's a wide range of interests that people have, but they come together for a love of politics."