Welcome to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs! We are your chairs, Terah Lyons and ImeIme Umana, and we are so looking forward to meeting you all in January! Harvard Model Congress is a wonderful opportunity for you all to learn about politics first-hand, improve your public speaking skills and meet students from across the nation. And, of course, you have plenty of time to explore the beautiful city of San Francisco.
My name is Terah Lyons, and I am a sophomore from Colorado currently studying Social Studies and Astrophysics. When I’m not in class or working with HMC, I spend my time with a lot of political groups and public service endeavors on campus—I also row crew for Eliot House. I love to run, ski, and spend time with friends and family. This is my first HMC conference, so for those of you who have never done this before, we’ll be in the same boat!
My name is ImeIme Umana. I’m a sophomore from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania studying African American Studies and Government. I’m quite active with a few political groups on campus and am involved with community service organizations. I typically spend my free time listening to music, doing yoga and hanging out with friends. I’m very excited to help lead the House Committee on Foreign Affairs!
We are very excited to hear your senators’ (and your own) views and opinions on the topics we will be debating! As the committee on Foreign Affairs, we must carefully craft all of our legislation because the bills we pass will have global implications.
Our first international issue involves the malaria crisis in Africa. As representatives, it is your job to consider what the main goals are for United States foreign aid, and what the limitation of these goals are in the context of our current economic crisis.
The other international issue we will be discussing is the relationship between the United States and Cuba.
We hope that together as representatives from across the nation you will be able to find innovative solutions to these two international issues! There are still a few months until the conference, but we urge you to read the briefings and begin thinking about the conference. We are both dedicated to making your experience as enjoyable and educational as possible, so please feel free to email us before the conference if you have any questions or concerns.
Best,