Dear Senators,
It is my honor to welcome you to the United States Senate at the 2012 Harvard Model Congress conference in Boston. The Senate staff and I hope you are as excited as we are to delve into fascinating committees and experience government firsthand during the four-day conference, during which you will have the opportunity to learn about current events, meet intelligent and passionate students from around the country, and develop an appreciation for the way that the American democracy works.
Over the course of the weekend, you will be assuming the role of a United States senator and debating important issues, contemplating regional and partisan interests as well as the ideas presented by your peers. We have been hard at work to make sure that your experience is as comprehensive, believable, and effective as possible. The decisions that you make in your committees and full sessions have real consequences for the conference as a whole, and accordingly have the power to affect the course of the nation’s history. As members of Congress’s upper house, you are taking on the responsibilities of the government’s premiere deliberative body, and we hope that you will execute your duties with care, poise, conviction, and respect for your colleagues.
I urge you to consider your role and the lessons and memories you hope to take home from your experience. The key to making the most of your time in Boston is immersing yourself in discussion by taking risks, speaking up, and sharing your ideas. In the months leading up to the conference itself, take the time to read the briefings that your chairs wrote and begin to reflect on the kinds of questions you think will be significant as you craft legislation. Having an understanding of the issues before the conference will prepare you to make educated decisions and participate in high-level debate, and equally important is making sure that you ask questions during committee and full sessions and collaborate with your fellow delegates to form creative and viable solutions to these complex problems. Of course, we also hope that you will create long-lasting friendships and memories while learning from both your fellow delegates and your chairs.
Once again, welcome to the Senate, “the living symbol of our union of states.” On behalf of the Senate staff, thank you for your energy and enthusiasm, and we look forward to meeting you in a few months! Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me or with one of your chairs if you have any questions or concerns.
Best,
Caitlin Lewis
President of the Senate