From February 23-26, 2023, the Bernards HMC delegates attended the 38th annual Harvard Model Congress. Run by Mr. Kaplan and chaperoned by Dr. Hogge, Ms. Pietroluongo, and Nurse Worstel, the delegation of 32 students spent the weekend drafting bills and debating on legislature.
Mr. Kaplan said “The trip went phenomenally. I am most proud of the students’ comradery and support. Everyone carried themselves professionally and had a strong willingness to compromise and achieve their personal and academic goals.”
Harvard Model Congress is a four-day event where schools from across the country come together to debate, create, and compromise over congressional legislation.
As the largest model congress in the United States, it has over 37 committees, including those in the House of Representatives, Senate, Special Committees, and more.
Ms. Pietroluongo said “I was really impressed by the event and enjoyed watching different students step out of their comfort zones, and display different attributes in new environments.”
The Harvard Model Congress was founded in 1986, and Bernards has been attending ever since. Unlike other conferences, Harvard Model Congress assigns its delegates to specific congressmen impacting our nation today. Students must embody their given congressman’s political ideologies throughout the conference.
Backed and acclaimed by many prominent U.S. political figures including President Clinton and Senator Warren, the model continues to offer students from across the country a unique opportunity to develop social and speaking skills.
“It is a great way to apply knowledge that is otherwise abstract, and a great way to visualize democracy and exercise it,” said Mr. Kaplan.
This year, 1500 students from across the U.S. attended the Harvard Model Congress. The congress takes on delegates spanning from states on the East Coast such as New York and New Jersey, all the way to states such as California on the West. It also offers a large number of international opportunities, with this year’s conference including students from Vietnam, Puerto Rico, Brazil, and many other countries.
After a long weekend of debates and compromises, hardships, and triumphs, the Harvard Model Congress holds a closing ceremony to wrap up the four-day conference and to give out awards. Each committee gives out several “Outstanding delegate” awards, as well as three to four honorable mentions.
These are delegates who have gone above and beyond to compromise and cooperate with their peers, fighting tooth and nail to pass legislation. This year, our students accumulated six awards. Outstanding delegate awards were given to Sydney Incarnato in the U.N. Security Council Committee and Kurt Hunziker in the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, and the recipients of the Honorable Mention award were Raquel Dickinson in the Historical Committee, Tyler Stevens in the Historical Committee, Sophia Santoro in the World Health Organization, and John Tober in the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Applications for the Harvard Model Congress are posted each year in September and are available for sophomores, juniors, and seniors. As an event that has received overwhelmingly positive feedback from both students and staff, new delegates are welcomed each year and 32 of the applicants are selected to attend the conference.
“I learned a lot over the weekend and was able to get close with some new friends,” said Simon Bramwit ‘24 who attended the conference.
The 2023 Harvard Model Congress was a resounding success with some students sharing stories of their experiences in Committee, some of the delicious food, and others of the friends that they made there. One thing that is for certain is that all the students and staff thoroughly enjoyed the conference and cannot wait until next year’s, where they hope to see you attending as well.
