Mounties Attend JSA Winter Congress

On February 26 and 27, members of the Mount Saint Mary Academy JSA (Junior States of America) Chapter attended Winter Congress 2022 virtually. This event simulates our U.S. Congress so students can learn how bills are made and passed.

 

During this convention, participants attended committee meetings, offered amendments, and watched the markup process on proposed legislation. They also honed their public speaking and negotiation skills to gain supporters for their issue in the House and Senate sessions.

 

Joanne Cadigan-Peters, JSA Moderator and Department of Social Studies Chairperson, stated, “The Mount chapter had a valuable experience at Winter Congress this year. They worked on bills, collaborated ideas, listened to different perspectives, and learned about civic engagement.”

 

“Winter Congress helps you learn perspectives different from what you already know, and in that way, you learn so much at this event,” said Anne Tighe '24.

 

“Hearing about my peers’ proposed bills gave me the chance to appreciate a wide range of perspectives because everyone in our chamber had a unique viewpoint on the legislation we debated,” added Zoe Schack '24. “Our keynote speaker, U.S. Representative Joshua S. Gottheimer, also highlighted this theme by discussing his work in a bipartisan caucus and the importance of uniting with different people to reach a common goal. All in all, Winter Congress taught valuable lessons about the importance of effective policy and the unity congresspersons need to achieve the best results possible.”

 

“Winter Congress was such a fulfilling experience. I was able to debate hot-topic bills, learn about civic engagement from Representative Gottheimer, and meet a lot of new people,” said Victoria Fekete '24.

 

“Winter Congress was an incredible opportunity to connect with fellow JSAers across the nation while still enriching our debate skills and learning how bills are created and passed into action,” said Akshaya Karanam '24.