Model Congress is easily one of the most unique clubs that Harrison High School has to offer. Through Model Congress, students gain knowledge on the legislative process, public speaking, creating strong arguments on the spot, and creating a bill that addresses a prevalent issue. All of these skills are garnered through attending weekly club meetings and conferences that occur three times a year at various universities.

What exactly is Model Congress? Ms. Merritt, club advisor, and IB history teacher, referred to the mission statement within the student-made Constitution of the club when defining Model Congress. The Constitution states that Model Congress is “A dedicated group of students who seek to improve themselves through public speaking, policy research, and expansion of knowledge is the heart of Model Congress. We strive to create an environment where everyone has a voice, and nobody is afraid to express their opinion.” This rings true to what the club is all about: an interactive way for students to debate with one another while discussing current events.

 Though it may initially seem confusing, Model Congress uses a unique debate structure. When preparing for a conference, students are placed into committees, and each committee covers a different subject. For example, there are committees on foreign affairs, oversight and reform, small businesses, energy and commerce, and many others. In each committee, students write a bill on a certain issue relating to the committee. Once the speaker is ready to present their bill, they must introduce it to the chair, the person leading the committee, and the committee itself. After this, there is a four-minute reading period for delegates to understand the premise of the bill, how the bill will address the issue in question, and also annotate the pros and cons of the bill that could be used in a speech. 

Then, the structured debate begins with a four-minute speech given by the author of the bill, known as the authorship speech. After the authorship speech comes a four-minute speech against the bill. To end the structured debate, there will be a two-minute speech in favor of the bill followed by a two-minute speech against the bill. Finally, general debate begins and the floor is open to points or motions that will occur until someone motions to move to the previous question, or in simple terms, vote on the bill. 

Though it may seem daunting, Model Congress is a tight-knit community. Harrison Model Congress member and president, Samantha Rabin expressed that being in a club of people with the same interests and passions makes a big school feel small. In addition, she explained that public speaking is one of many skills obtained from debating in conferences.

In addition to current members, many other people have expressed interest in joining Model Congress. Gilliana Palombo explained that “learning about the legislative process and being able to discuss important issues with students is really interesting.” 

While the Harrison Model Congress delegation only attends three conferences a year, there are numerous conferences that occur which include Princeton Model Congress, Yale Model Congress, Harvard Model Congress, and Penn Model Congress, among others. Each conference offers something different. For instance, Penn and Yale conferences offer students a unique opportunity to experience campus life while Harvard and Princeton conferences allow students to explore Boston and Washington D.C., respectively. Despite some of the differences in these conferences, they each offer the same opportunities regarding public speaking and debate skills. 

At the various conferences, students also have the opportunity to meet students from other schools across the country. Students from New York City, Washington D.C., Maryland, Nebraska, New Jersey, California, and a variety of other areas have attended conferences and competed alongside students from Harrison High School.

In addition to the debate aspect of Model Congress, many students have been able to form strong friendships with fellow club members and foster a sense of community within the club. At conferences, Harrison delegates bond through shared experiences in the cities that they visit. For example, many Harrison students attended a Philadelphia Flyers hockey game during Penn Model Congress 2024 as a way for students to foster new friendships and bond as a club. 

Model Congress is a special opportunity for students to learn about the legislative process through practicing public speaking skills. Through this community, students learn about current events, the legislative process, and public speaking—highly important skills that are extremely beneficial, regardless of the career path students wish to pursue. The new abilities garnered from debating bills are unique and extremely valuable both in and out of the classroom.