On February 8, 2024, Washington and Lee University (W&L) held their 28th Mock Convention. This three day event is held every four years at the university and is considered the most realistic voting simulation in the nation by many. It earned an extraordinary turnout of an estimated 98% of the student body, members of the community, and even people from out of state and it is not hard to understand why.
The history of Mock Convention, or Mock Con, dates back to 1908, and has always been a notable event in Lexington. Junior Youssef Azab said, “The historical nature of the event means that it’s intertwined with Lexington’s tight-knit community and the love the community has for Mock Con was evident everywhere I looked both during the event itself and the delegate parade.”  It is 100% student-led with members of the W&L community coming together and raising millions of dollars for the quadrennial event. It typically takes the entirety of the time between events to successfully plan and put the next event into action, pulling the community closer through any trials that may be presented.
The event itself is political, acting as a presidential nomination election. Attendees listen to many influential diplomatic figures speak, sharing their thoughts and opinions on the happenings of the country in relation to the elections. From this information, the guests vote on who they believe will win the approaching official nomination. “I learned a lot about the goals and ideals of the Republican Party, but one thing I learned a lot about was the demographics and political science behind republican campaigning,” Azab said. This year’s winner was Donald Trump. For the first time, there was also a poll for who the masses thought would become the vice president as well.
This year, speakers such as Candace Owens, a political commentator; Mike Pompeo,  former Secretary of State; Brian Kemp, Georgia’s governor; Glenn Youngkin, Virginia’s governor; and Donald Trump Jr. were all in attendance. They presented the history and thoughts of different political parties to make sure those present understood all sides of the election.
The event is clearly beneficial in more than a few ways, holding a 74% accuracy rate within elections, educating the community, and even indirectly helping out the small businesses of Lexington with the amount of people visiting. It is rarely, if ever, a failure, gaining admiration and support from people across the nation.