Tuesday, the Burton Panthers traveled to Caney Creek High School in Conroe to compete in their first ever Regional UIL Congress Meet. UIL Congress is a contest created to give students a simulated experience in the process of creating, debating, and passing legislation as if they were serving as a member of Congress. Students compete in groups of 20, sponsoring and debating the merits of potential legislation, all written by students from across the region. The students debate in two, three hour sessions, spending roughly 30 minutes on each piece of proposed legislation.
The seven member Burton team consisted of five seniors: Samantha Angell, Brooklyn Anthony, Vivian Layman, Kolton Lunbeck, and Isabell Means, along with two juniors: Devlin Douglas, and Cadeyn Manley. The group spent several weeks researching the topics, preparing speeches, and debating in class. Their preparations proved successful, as after a long day of debates, the Panthers walked away with all three state spots from the Region 20 2A meet. Devlin Douglas (Jr.) finished 3rd, Samantha Angell (Sr.) finished 2nd as the Regional Runner Up, and Vivian Layman (Sr.) finished 1st as the Regional Champion. The Panthers now await the release of the state legislation to begin preparing for the State Congress Meet on the University of Texas Campus in Austin on January 7th and 8th.