Five students from St. Joseph High School recently returned from a Congressional Seminary in Washington, DC. Those attending the seminar were seniors Frank Bader, Linda Fussell, Jack Smith, James Smith, and junior Debby Wynne.

The Congressional Seminar is the only college-based study program of its kind in the Nation's Capitol. The program is administered and coordinated by the Washington Workshop Foundation, a nonprofit, nonpartisan association of educators and government leaders, established specifically to offer a unique and effective U.S. government learning experience to qualified high school students from all 50 states.

The entire format of the seminar is academic-oriented, including residence and daily classes at Mount Vernon College in Washington, DC, afternoon dialogue sessions with cabinet members and members of Congress, and evening campus discussions with agency officials, news media personnel, and other government-related speakers.

Frank Bader spent three weeks working in one of the Republican Party offices. Frank said, "This was the most educational and enjoyable three weeks I've ever spent."

The other four students stayed one week in the capitol city. They attended sessions where different senators spoke to them. A few of the senators who spoke were Hubert Humphrey, Strom Thurmond, Vance Harke and Robert Taft.

Highlighting the week's activities was "The Sense of the Seminar" in which students presented resolutions to be given to Congress after this year's summer session.

Mr. Lee Raudonis, head of the social science department, commented, "I feel that spending one week actively witnessing our government in operation and talking with those who are actually involved in it is far more valuable than a year of traditional classroom experience. It is very gratifying to me to know that St. Joseph sent more students to the seminar than any other school in the nation. We are finally recognizing that students can often learn more outside school than in. What is needed throughout our educational process are more opportunities such as this."