A Memorable Model Congress

By Liam Considine
Director of Secondary School Counseling; Model Congress Advisor

As it has for over thirty years, The Foote School Model Congress convened before sunrise on a May Saturday morning to board the bus for The Chapin Model Congress, held on Manhattan’s Upper East Side. As the only non-NYC school among a record number of participants, our delegation proudly represented not just Foote, but Connecticut, and arguably, all of New England.

Our students have been preparing for this event since the second week of school. Their goal was to strengthen their debate skills, deepen their understanding of contemporary issues, and select a topic they cared about deeply enough to craft thoughtful legislation. The resulting bills were imaginative, intelligent, and reflective of genuine student passion and insight.

One memorable quotation from the event came from a  beaming seventh grader who remarked at the closing ceremony, “I have never been so scared and so exhilarated in my whole life.” That sentiment captured the day perfectly. Certainly, it was a day of triumphs, both large and small.

Here are the bills our delegation presented:

Talia Abeles and Darcy Driver: An Act to Ban the Return of Extinct Species

Dar Assaf and Alara Deniz: A Resolution to Reform the Election of Presidents and Vice Presidents

Lorenzo Mateo Caliendo and Charles Schwartz: An Act to Ban Online Gambling

Will Caplan and Audrey Lasater: The Mental Health is Health Act

Pablo Cruz: An Act Prohibiting the Use of School Vouchers to Pay for Independent Schools

Eloise Dickson and Ellie Sudmyer: An Act to Remove Bias from the College Admission Process

Hatim Elarabi: An Act to Provide Grants for Youth Sports in Underserved Communities

Georgie Esselstyn and Ruthie Myers: A Bill to Ban the Execution of the Intellectually Disabled* 

Ellen Ferguson and Violet Lloyd: An Act to Fund Universal Pre-K

Safiya Gonzalez and Dylan Hawkins: An Act to Repeal the De Facto National Minimum Drinking Age Act of 1984*

Alexandra-Elise Ipek and Mara Solas-Gandhi: An Act Requiring Fast Food Chains and Junk Food Merchants to Display Nutrition Information, Health Risks, and Warnings for Foods High in Sugar, Sodium, or Saturated Fat

Blake King and Clara Lu: A Congressional/Executive Resolution for a World Treaty Targeting AI Limitation

Eve Laskin-Tievsky: An Act to Raise SNAP Funds by 30% and Install a “SNAP App” to Promote Healthy Eating

Levi Chase Lucarelli-Apatow: An Act to Mandate Lower Ticket Resale Prices on Ticketing Sites

Ben Normandin: An Act to Ban and Regulate Billboards on Federal Roadways

Maddy Normandin: An Act to Provide More Mental Health Resources in Schools

Eleazar Parra: An Act to Facilitate the Importation and Sale of Chinese Automobiles in the United States*

Yoobin Perry and Tristan Shahid: An Act to Ban the Use, Production, and Sale of Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS)*

Simon Rodriguez and Cadel Tiernan: An Act to Promote the Four-Day School Week

Gage Seymour: An Act to Provide International Dementia Research 

* Bills in italics were selected by their respective committees for presentation in the full afternoon sessions of Congress. Out of 18  committees representing 11 schools, The Foote School maintained a strong presence in these plenary sessions.

Nearly all of our bills passed in committee, an impressive achievement. Still, it is worth noting that even bills that did not advance were compelling, well-crafted, and thought-provoking. Our goal is to spark meaningful debate and showcase student creativity, not merely to pass legislation.

At the conclusion of the day, each committee awarded one Golden Gavel of Legislative Excellence and one Honorable Mention. We are proud to announce that five Foote delegates were recognized for their skill and presence:

Georgie Esselstyn — Honorable Mention
Roo Myers — Honorable Mention
Eleazar Parra — Honorable Mention
Gage Seymour — Honorable Mention

And this year’s Golden Gavel recipient:

Levi Lucarelli-Apatow