We were sent to lobby politicians for the purpose of increasing student aid. That could have been done from home using phones, email, and the USPS. Lack of preparation to argue in favor of our position clearly annoyed a Senator who asked questions, then quickly ended the meeting upon receiving no answers to those questions. In hindsight, it is clear that the trip's true purpose was part of an ongoing scheme to take brief, regular vacations at the expense of the student body. Surely, an employee of the Department of Education is an UNPAID speaker. The longest "seminar" was actually a comedy show, as in a two-hour performance by a professional comedian.
Review from Guidestar