Model Congress

This year on February 22nd, 2024, 1,600 high school students flew across the country to Leighton, Massachusetts for the Harvard Model Congress Conference. Here, young minds gather to solve problems caused by the generation before them; and as they simulate Congress, we get a look at the future legislators of America. 

There was no shortage of demand to be in Model Congress this year as 61 students applied for only 32 spots. So why do students want to be in Model Congress? What makes it so important? To most it seems like extra schoolwork that has to be done on top of the test-ridden days at Middlesex. Freshman Diana Davidson disagrees saying she had an “overall positive experience.” However, this was not Diana’s first time when it comes to debate, taking part in Parliamentary Public Forum, World School Styles, Policy, Debate, and Model UN. But despite Model Congress being just a pretend reality, it fosters interest in real-world issues. “I’m really interested in politics from a biotech policy standpoint,” Davidson stated. At 15, students have begun to think about agricultural dilemmas and AI-powered farming. 

Model Congress, however, was less of a commitment than made out to be as returner Nick Weise talked about how it was “about an hour a week of preparation.” When asking Weise about how Model Congress differed from last year he stated that “[there were] different coaches (Dr. Mancuso) this year so obviously it was a different style of preparation.” However, on the other hand, “meetings are more fun your second year because you're not as nervous.”

In Model Congress, students have to take the role of current congresspeople and senators, which can pose a challenge when high-school students have to cosplay 65-year-olds. However, when asked if they found it hard to put themselves into the shoes of these politicians most said it was surprisingly fun. 

Faculty Co-Advisor Benjamin Kulas believes that “it can be interesting and rewarding when one is assigned the identity of a legislator who might have different political views than one’s own.” The practice of being assigned a politician ahead of time and researching their identity is specific to Harvard, which Middlesex is once again attending after a period of journeying to Philadelphia for the Penn Model Congress. “There's a theatrical element to it,”  Kulas stated, observing that “you have to think about the motivations and mindset of the person you’re playing, almost like a character in a play.” He worries that as politics in America have become more and more inflammatory, Model Congress could, too. In a post-Trump world, “we have seen attacks on identity introduced into everyday politics.” Kulas noted that this development makes roles harder to play because in real life politicians are “crossing boundaries that conflict with the ideals of our society and, especially, with the aims of Middlesex.”

So what is Model Congress fundamentally teaching students? Well for one, it teaches negotiation: an important skill not just to have in a congressional hearing, but in real life. The Harvard Model Congress way of not writing legislation until you’re there fosters a work environment where students must create legislation although hypothetically disagreeing with it. This is a value that Middlesex holds, and a value that as individuals we should do our best to maintain in a politically tense moment in history. 

The lessons taught by Model Congress are sure to be brought into the world outside the Middlesex Bubble, as senior Florence Morlock heads to college. Morlock stated that she’s “considering going into foreign policy and working in the committees [she] was in, [she] feels like it could be fun.”  

So why does Model Congress matter? In a world where you are bombarded with political ideologies in everyday life, why should you take the time out of your week to pretend to be a politician you may fundamentally disagree with? The answer is evident: Model Congress is making students think about things that would otherwise never cross their minds. Whether it be climate change or the border crisis, students are learning about the issues that will affect them far more greatly in the future. Model Congress is fostering the future lawmakers of America. 

Kat Stephens