Model Youth Congress held at AUS for the first time

Seventy students took part in the first Model Youth Congress (MYC) held at American University of Sharjah (AUS), recently. The event was organized by students from the Student Leadership Program (SLP), Office of Student Affairs.

Delegates represented various U.S. constituencies in three distinct committees; the House of Representatives, the Senate, and the National Security Council. The congress was an exceptional platform for students interested in debates, diplomacies and political affairs. Delegates had the opportunity to step into the shoes of national policy makers and to gain firsthand experience of policy formulation and governance. Delegates were also able to improve their written and oral communication skills and bridge the gap between thoughts and expressions.

"The Model Youth Congress was my first time at a platform that had such a different format of debating and addressing the motion. I cannot think of having a better experience as it greatly improved my learning of the functioning of the governmental bodies," said Anushka Jayasankar, a sophomore majoring in chemical engineering.

Several students were honored for their performance during the concluding ceremony. These were:

Senate

Outstanding Delegate: Hesham Jarmakani

Distinguished Delegate: Ali Asaad

Honorable Mention: Rowan Adham

House of Representatives

Outstanding Delegate: Vishnu Narayanan

Distinguished Delegate: Mohammed Atallah

Honorable Mention: Yasmien Abduldayem

"The congress was organized by SLP students and proved a great success," said Dr. Moza Al Shehhi, Dean of Students. "It was an intercollegiate simulation of the American Congress an provided the students with an opportunity to step into the roles of senators and emulate the law making process as it is carried out in the U.S. legislature. We look forward to organizing MYC again next year and encourage more students to take part in it," Dr. Al Shehhi added.