Total Government Immersion at Harvard Model Congress
In mid-February, eleven Groton students participated in the Harvard Model Congress, America's largest and perhaps best high school simulation of the United States government.
Each student is given the role of a current U.S. Senator or House Representative; on every Sunday morning for a month prior to the conference, Groton students extensively researched their roles as well as certain issues chosen by the conference organizers.
During the conference, participants, including some from schools as far away as Illinois, engaged each other in lively discussion and debate, and in the process learned how to craft legislation and negotiate the passage of bills. Saleh Hamdan '17 gave several spirited speeches as Frank Lucas, the Republican Congressman from Oklahoma, while Macy Lipkin '18 wrote the preamble to one successful bill while brilliantly portraying Texas Senator Ted Cruz (despite being personally at odds with many of Cruz's beliefs).
The conference was held over four days at a hotel in Boston's Back Bay, and on Friday morning many Groton students took the opportunity to visit the Harvard University undergraduate campus during a break in the conference's otherwise busy schedule.
The conference organizers awarded honorable mention certificates to Jarvis Bereday '17 and Sophie Park '19 for their impressive work on their commitees.
After the interesting, fun, and productive weekend, Groton students look forward to returning to Harvard Model Congress next year.—Tom Lamont P'09, '12, '15, History teacher and Model Congress advisor
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During the conference, participants, including some from schools as far away as Illinois, engaged each other in lively discussion and debate, and in the process learned how to craft legislation and negotiate the passage of bills. Saleh Hamdan '17 gave several spirited speeches as Frank Lucas, the Republican Congressman from Oklahoma, while Macy Lipkin '18 wrote the preamble to one successful bill while brilliantly portraying Texas Senator Ted Cruz (despite being personally at odds with many of Cruz's beliefs).
The conference was held over four days at a hotel in Boston's Back Bay, and on Friday morning many Groton students took the opportunity to visit the Harvard University undergraduate campus during a break in the conference's otherwise busy schedule.
The conference organizers awarded honorable mention certificates to Jarvis Bereday '17 and Sophie Park '19 for their impressive work on their commitees.
After the interesting, fun, and productive weekend, Groton students look forward to returning to Harvard Model Congress next year.—Tom Lamont P'09, '12, '15, History teacher and Model Congress advisor
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