Welcome to the best program at Harvard Model Congress. Welcome to a world of exciting political challenges, enthusiastic peers, and engaging chairs to guide you through solving new dynamic problems. Welcome to a world in which you make decisions that can make or break our country’s future. Welcome to a world in which you have to use every skill— writing, critical analysis, and teamwork—to meet your committee’s goals. Welcome to a world in which you will learn how to take over the world. Welcome to your world, one in which you can learn how to solve the issues pressing our country today.
When Trevor was a delegate at Harvard Model Congress, he always admired the amazing capabilities of the Cabinet members. Mark has also been incredibly impressed by the creativity of delegates. What really drives Harvard Model Congress is the delegates that bring enormous enthusiasm and knowledge to their committees, year after year. Any interest you have, whether it is in economics, political agendas, or foreign policy, can be put to good use in Cabinet! If you are looking to draft legislation, advise the president, or act as a liaison between the executive branch and Congress, this is the place! You have the power to shape policy and the opportunity to think fast on your feet in response to national crises. As a member of Cabinet, you will debate the most contentious topics of Congress, and write recommendations to the President on how to address these current issues. One of the wonderful (and challenging) things about Cabinet is its fluidity. With such a wide variety of problems and opportunities, I am confident that you will find your place in the Cabinet.
Cabinet at Harvard Model Congress is what you make of it. It is up to you to come up with innovative solutions to the problems pressing our country today. It is your responsibility to make connections with the other delegates at the conference to meet a deadline, get a piece of legislation passed through Congress, or solve a crisis. Please prepare for the conference by researching your position in Cabinet, and the main issues regarding your position that you would like to address at the conference. In addition, please read the briefings in Congress related to those issues you have chosen (all online on the website). Reading your committee’s (and other committees’) briefings, thinking about your discussion questions, and most importantly, asking us (your chairs) questions, is crucial to your experience at Harvard Model Congress. As Ms. Frizzle from The Magic School Bus once said, “Take chances! Make mistakes!” My recommendation for you is to take advantage of the amazingly talented people you will meet at the conference, both your chairs and your fellow delegates. Ask them questions, work with them to solve problems, and most importantly, make friends! These are memories that will last you for a lifetime.
Just so you can get to know us a little better before the start of the conference, Mark Krass is a sophomore concentrating in Social Studies. This means that Mark spends most days trying his best to convince relatives that he isn’t majoring in their least favorite subject from Grade 5. The remainder of his time is spent on loving Canada, making and then eating food, and naps. Mark is also an avid Arabic student and can’t wait to give both parents multiple heart attacks by announcing his study abroad plans for next summer!
Trevor Brandt-Sarif is a freshman with many potential concentrations and a bad case of indecisiveness. He is interested in social sciences, like government and economics, philosophy, and computer science. He’s also particularly interested in Middle East conflict studies. When he’s not working on HMC, he’s likely to be practicing on the Harvard debate team or training Krav Maga. He’s a huge fan of accents, nice suits and tuxedoes, Arrested Development, and TED, and can’t wait to chair HMC cabinet!
We look forward to meeting you all in January, and seeing what you will make of Cabinet. We encourage you to contact us with any questions or concerns and we love hearing from you all.
Good luck on your Cabinet journey, and see you soon!