The Arlington High School Model Congress sent 22 students to debates at the University of Pennsylvania, and of 30 recognized, two AHS participants received individual awards, as Eryk Dobrushkin got "best delegate" and Tano Mejia two honorable mentions.

About 800 students attended what Kerry Dunne, K-12 social studies director, called the nation's most competitive model-congress competition and the most difficult to gain entry.

Elite high schools from all over the country sent delegations, she wrote in an email Sunday, Feb. 10, after her group had waited out the blizzard.

"I sat in on a lot of debates," she wrote, "and I was so impressed with our Arlington kids, who overcame their innate politeness to mix it up with some really top-notch debaters."

She also commended senior captains, Meiling Bedard and Kirby Stoff, as well as senior Akihiro Komatsu. They have spent two afternoons a week for the past few months leading after-school practices. They made sure all team members were skilled in parliamentary procedure and that they came to the event with well-prepared bills and speeches.

Dunne added: "Best of all, and most importantly to me, these 22 students were certainly more well behaved then the actual members of congress and represented Arlington very well during their four days in Philadelphia. My co-adviser Robert Hale and I were pleased to receive many compliments on their responsible, polite behavior on the train, while exploring Philadelphia, and while participating in the conference itself."

This story was published Saturday, Feb. 16, 2013.