Intensive Congressional Simulations
Constitutional Convention
Dear Delegates,
Welcome to Philadelphia 1787 and the Constitutional Convention. Get ready for an exciting ride through history! We will be compressing four months of statecraft into four days, so get excited! This committee provides an incredible opportunity to rewrite history, or, more aptly, to write history for the first time. You will each represent one of the esteemed delegates present at the Philadelphia Convention, complete with state loyalties, personal prejudices, and political leanings. You will find yourselves engaged in vigorous debate and intense arguments over issues of representation, taxation, and executive authority, struggling through the very same concerns that faced our Founding Fathers. Additionally, we look forward to seeing how aspects of your own worldviews come through during our time together. At the end of our frantic and fabulous experience, you will have created a new kind of nation, unlike any other in the 18th century world we will be simulating. Will our creation stand the test of time, fulfilling the promise of the Revolution and the Declaration of Independence? That all depends on you.
Laura Hirschberg, a.k.a. George "I cannot tell a lie" Washington," is a senior English concentrator. This is her third trip to 1787 in her four years at Harvard. Last year, she took a quick trip to the 1930s with Historical Committee, but she looks forward to donning the (figurative) powdered wig once again at HMC 2009. When she isn't participating in simulation statecraft, Laura spends most of her time behind the scenes in Harvard theater or singing with Kuumba, Harvard's outstanding gospel choir.
This is going to be an incredibly rewarding and dynamic experience, and I absolutely cannot wait to share it with you. In your preparation for the conference, please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions for to engage in further discussion. Best of luck, and I’ll see you in 1787!
Sincerely,
Laura Hirschberg
hirschb@fas.harvard.edu
Historical Committee
Dear Delegates,
Welcome to the Historical Committee! We are thrilled to be working with you in this extraordinarily innovative and exciting simulation. As members of the Mexican and American War Cabinets, you will be re-enacting the Mexican American War while reshaping the course of events with new ideas, perspectives, and approaches. You will be given free reign to determine not only the substantive course, but also the outcome of the war.
We do not want to brag, but the Historical Committee is destined to be one of the coolest, most intense, and creative committees at Harvard Model Congress 2009. Let us just say your fellow delegates will wish they were on HistCom. Get ready for twists, turns, espionage, and a dramatic unfolding of historical events. Here’s a little bit more about your chairs.
Alexandra Courtis is a sophomore pursuing a joint-concentration in Chemistry & Environmental Science and Public Policy. On campus, she is also involved with the International Relations Council, Harvard Model Congress Europe, and Harvard Model UN. Alexandra plays the piano and loves target shooting, running, and doing research in inorganic chemistry.
Remen Okoruwa is a sophomore planning to concentrate in Biomedical and Engineering Sciences. He devotes his time to the Small Claims Advisory Service and the Harvard Science Review, in addition to Harvard Model Congress. Remen enjoys running and is an avid soccer fan.
As a final note, we want to make sure this committee is inclusive of all academic backgrounds and experience-levels. Please do not feel that you have to be a history buff or RISK aficionado to enjoy and contribute to the committee. With that said, you will be representing historical figures with strident opinions and must be prepared to present these views, and present them often. HistComm, by its nature, requires that delegates be outspoken, speak thoughtfully, and have strong interpersonal skills. If you have any questions about the structure of the committee, how to prepare for the simulation, or if you just want to chat, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
We look forward to meeting you!
Warm wishes,
Alexandra Courtis
courtis@fas.harvard.edu
Remen Okoruwa
okoruwa@fas.harvard.edu
Rules Committee
Dear Delegates,
I am very excited about the upcoming session of the Rules Committee. The conference is going to be very interesting: we will have as realistic an experience as we can, and our group will be heavily integrated with other programs in the conference. I am looking forward to meeting all of you when we begin our time together. For now, let me tell you a little about who I am.
My name is Edward Dumoulin, and I am a junior in Leverett House. This will be my second year with HMC, and my first year with the Rules Committee. Although I am officially a Government concentrator at school, I have taken many classes in philosophy, particularly in formal logic. Within the Government department, I mostly study political theory, and I plan to write a thesis about the philosophical legitimacy of law (ask me about it). I am also active in the campus music scene: I sing with the Harvard-Radcliffe Collegium Musicum, which performs a variety of classical music, and the Chamber Singers, which mostly is concerned with musical repertoire from the early Renaissance. I am also the financial manager of my choir.
I will be sending you more detailed information about your roles in the conference, as well as preparation that I would recommend to be sure that we all have the best possible experience once you get to Boston. Please feel free to email me with any questions in the meantime. I hope that all of you are as excited for this experience as I am, and I look forward to meeting you soon!
Sincerely,
Edward Dumoulin
dumoulin@fas.harvard.edu
Committee Assignments
HARVARD MODEL CONGRESS 2009
Pre-Conference Written Assignment
Delegates have background reading in political theory to complete before the conference. These readings can be found among the briefing materials on the Constitutional Convention committee webpage at www.harvardmodelcongress.org. The readings include excerpts from the Federalist Paper and speeches made by delegates at the convention. Delegates are also responsible for answering and submitting the discussion questions that follow each excerpt. Delegates should be prepared to bring the readings into their debate at the conference.
Committee Assignments
HARVARD MODEL CONGRESS 2009
Pre-Conference Written Assignment
In preparation for the conference, members of the Historical Committee are expected to compose a brief introductory speech. The speech should include an introduction of their role, views, and understanding of the current situation from the perspective of their role.
Don’t worry, nothing substantive…
Hi all! As this committee promises to be small and intimate, I wanted to introduce myself and ask other people to introduce themselves before the conference starts and we are forced to be in character and on policy. My name is Ben Bennett and I am a senior at
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