At 7:00am on Thursday, October 21st, ten Latin students pulled up to O’Hare Airport and left for a four day government simulation in D.C. While Latin has sent a group of students to a Model Congress each year, this is the school’s first year at Princeton Model Congress, and with this new conference comes new opportunities. Among these opportunities was the chance to run for President of the United States. It takes a bold individual to undertake such a daunting task, but junior Peter Jones was up for the challenge.  

At the opening ceremony, 800 students waited to hear the platforms of the three presidential candidates. With two students running as Democrats and Peter as an Independent, it seemed unlikely for him to win over a crowd of majority Democrat high schoolers. However, Peter’s lack of a party validated the authenticity of his statements, and was refreshing for students living in a time where parties are so polarized.

“I bring a political ideology to the table that few other candidates ever will.” Peter said. “I don’t regurgitate old overused stances; I’m not a Democrat or a Republican.” He also addressed students’ concerns about the current political climate. “My presidency will work to fix the political stalemate we often find ourselves in. My presidency will take America in the right direction.”

Latin junior Milana Jozwiak, a member of the PMC Senate Judiciary Committee, said, “His speeches were a really good way of compacting the two parties and helping with the problem of polarization. In the same way, he took a firm stance on what he believes is right, and I think that drew a lot of people in. Rather than being overly focused on a single issue, his campaign encompassed a wide range of issues that affected more people”

Peter filled out a written application for the position of presidential candidate, and only discovered that he was selected a week ago. Milana says, “He was very calm, cool, and collected, especially considering the very limited amount of time he had to prepare for the role. He gave the best delivery and made sure that people knew he was there for them.”

Students from other schools agree. Nickolas Saperstein of the PMC Supreme Court said, “I thought he was hip, youthful, and brought a fresh perspective.”

After the speeches, candidates responded to a series of three questions regarding their stances on current issues. Peter provided clear answers to the questions, and his responses further convinced delegates to vote for him.

Ethan Child, another member of the PMC Supreme Court, said, “I voted for him because I liked the way he responded to the questions, I think that he gave actually substantial answers that made sense.”

Peter Jones is doing a fantastic job of representing Latin and himself at Princeton Model Congress, and shows that a school does not have to be large to make an impact.