Nineteen students from Lynchburg College recently participated in the Mid-Atlantic European Union Simulation in Washington, D.C.
The Lynchburg delegation team was one of 13 college and university teams with more than 150 students. Over three days of heated debates and negotiations, delegations discussed a six-page resolution addressing Europe's environmental and agricultural policies.
Lynchburg College represented Poland. Several LC students garnered impressive awards and recognitions. Darby Wheeler, a sophomore from Keswick, Va., was elected vice president of the European Parliament. Molly Bridenbaugh, a junior from Chantilly, Va., was the official rapporteur of the EP, and Jordan Curet, a sophomore from Westminster, Md., became the chair of one of two parliamentary committees.
Lynchburg College students were elected chairs or vice chairs of three political party groups, including the two largest European parties. Krisztian Sandidge, a junior from Lynchburg, and Jordan Taylor, a junior from Catonsville, Md., led the socialists and nationalists, and Vincent Milone, a junior from Richmond, Va., was the vice chair of the conservative party group.
"Real-life diplomats from several embassies freely confessed how impressed they were with the professional quality of the initial resolution itself," said Dr. Marek Payerhin, associate professor of political science. This year it was LC's responsibility to coordinate the five-person European Commission charged with crafting this document over the past two months, a task fulfilled by Chelsea Parker, a junior from Branford, Conn., representing the president of the EU Commission.
While none of the office holders was eligible for additional recognitions, LC student Danielle Miller was named Outstanding Parliamentarian in the Plenary Session Award category.
The Polish Embassy has placed a report about LC's visit, complete with two photos, on the official Embassy website: http://www.washington.polemb.net/index.php?document=541.
For more information on LC's political science department, check http://www.lynchburg.edu/polisci.xml.