Nineteen upper school students brought their cares and concerns for country and community to the 2019 Model Congress on May 18. The St. Hilda’s & St. Hugh’s contingent was among 400 students from throughout the city’s independent schools who competed at the competition, held at The Packer Collegiate Institute in Brooklyn.
Throughout the academic year, student participants had crafted “bills” on a range of topics (such as improving infrastructure, revising the tax code, installing gender neutral restrooms, increasing aid to the homeless) that they would debate with the hope of them passing and becoming “law.” The students were assisted by upper division social studies teachers and co-advisors Duane Bailey-Castro and Artemas Wang.
“While all of our delegates performed admirably, one eighth grader won a special distinction as our only student to earn a ‘Golden Gavel’ for his legislating skill in his committee,” said Mr. Bailey-Castro. “We are incredibly proud of the hard work that all our student delegates showed all year and at Packer Collegiate on Saturday.”