“You are all acting like senators! You should be very proud of yourselves. This is great to see.”

With those comments, Betsy Palmer ’84 helped to conclude the afternoon session on the first day of Stetson’s 54th Annual Patrick L. Smith Model United States Senate, March 19-21. Palmer — a former reporter for Congressional Quarterly and an analyst for the Congressional Research Service, with expertise in Congress and the legislative process — served as the Model Senate parliamentarian, advising the student participants on the rules and procedures of the U.S. Senate.

The annual event on campus reproduces the actual procedures and activities of the U.S Senate in an effort to provide experience and education for the student participants. Each student is assigned a senator in one of five legislative committees: the Committee on Armed Services; Environment and Public Works; Foreign Relations; Judiciary; and Health, Education, Labor and Pensions. Each committee is responsible for researching and introducing a variety of bills.

Once again this year, the Model Senate delivered in grand style. A total of 70 students participated from Stetson and nine other schools from as far away as Massachusetts and Maryland in what is the nation’s oldest college-level Model U.S. Senate program. Also, it’s nationally recognized for excellence in civic education.

Experiential Learning

In essence, while the university’s Hatter Ready initiative to enhance student learning through immersive experiences was officially introduced in fall 2024, the Model Senate has been doing so since 1970 (minus a COVID-19 interruption). In fact, Palmer personifies the program’s success, participating as a student in 1982, 1983 and 1984, and serving as the parliamentarian for 20 years. Also, she lectures at the University of Arizona’s School of Government and Public Policy after working in Washington, D.C., for more than 25 years.

“Watching students learn on the fly and make critical analytical connections is very rewarding. They give me hope, every year, that they will go out and do good in their lives and careers,” said Palmer. “One highlight from this year was the quality of the floor speeches given throughout the event, but especially in the opening session. It can be very intimidating to get up and speak in this setting, so I was delighted at how well students did, both in the substance of their speeches and the need to act in character.”

Another former Model Senate participant, Bruno Soto ’25 returned this year to offer mentorship and give back to a program that was a “highlight” of his time at Stetson. Soto’s words: “Model Senate is extraordinary in its ability to build the characters of those in it across only three days. I’ve personally seen students go from nervous and quiet individuals to committee leaders and more. I believe I owe a lot to the Model Senate for developing my character, including my ideals on what leadership means.”

On April 7, Soto heads to Peace Corps Peru, where he’ll work on economic development initiatives.

Stetson sophomore Elliott Tyson Guess, a Political Science major and vice president of the Sigma Nu fraternity, was a participant for the first time, hoping to learn more about the legislative process. He succeeded, commenting, “The experience was extremely worthwhile.” 

“By the second morning, I had a comfortable understanding of how the process goes and what to do,” Guess added. “By that point, I was having a lot of fun … . I also learned a lot from just reading the bills that we were discussing and learning about the background of them.” His current plan is to attend Stetson’s College of Law following graduation.

Jeremy Klapka, a major in political science and philosophy, traveled from Bridgewater State University in Massachusetts to “engage with likeminded students and participate in this mock Senate experience.”

“One day I hope to be  a United States senator,” Klapka said, “and this felt like a great opportunity to discuss some of the most important political issues that our country faces. … I loved meeting and discussing  legislation with all these students, regardless of political alignment.”

Those statements are no doubt music to the ears of Stetson faculty advisers David Hill, PhD, and Kelly Smith, PhD, professors of Political Science, along with Patrick L. Smith ’03, benefactor of the Model Senate. He was a student participant who is now a Florida attorney at The Law Offices of Patrick L. Smith, PLLC.

“Stetson is an incubator for democracy, and we’re seeing our earliest dividends from former participants,” he said. “It makes me even more excited about the future and the product we’re producing here.”

-Michael Candelaria