Harvard Model Congress Asia

Oh no. I stared with wide eyes at the computer screen, while scrolling through the various files I had to digest.

I have recently been selected to be part of Learning Lab's delegation in the upcoming Harvard Model Congress Asia (HMCA). This three day conference is a student-managed American government simulation run under the auspices of Harvard University.

I was on holiday at my Uncle's house in California, and had just come back from a skiing trip. I received a few e-mails from the Learning Lab, with links to papers that I had to read. The papers covered a wide variety of serious and abstract issues such as 'Obama's Leadership' and 'The Healthcare Reform Bill'. Upon seeing the difficulty and range of topics covered, my father exclaimed, "We only read such articles in the University!" Bravely picking an article about Obama's healthcare reform plan, which I deemed not too hard, I tried ploughing through information given. Luckily, there was a glossary, which explained the meaning of the terminologies used. However, I was soon lost in the flurry of complicated words. I had to read some portions a few times to understand the author's point. The dictionary, or the 'walking dictionaries'- my parents, were a great help to me. My uncle, being a U.S citizen, understood how the Congress works, and he discussed some of the issues over dinner. "Do you know the consequences of globalisation?" he asked and we would launch into a discussion over the pros and cons of globalisation. After persisting through a few articles, I got the hang of reading such articles, and the topics were not so alien anymore.

After coming back from my holiday, I attended my first HMCA training session. I had no idea how the lessons were going to be conducted, so I felt a tinge of anticipation and nervousness. During this session, two students gave a comprehensive presentation on Carbon tax. Their speeches covered many aspects, including the effects of global warming, the Kyoto protocol, and even which policies will be better suited to combat global warming. It was evident that they had poured in countless hours into this project. I had written a paper about Carbon tax too, and I was rather proud of myself having written a 500 word essay about such a foreign issue. However, my essays were a far cry from their well-researched presentations, both in terms of length, and insightfulness.

The training sessions usually begin with a student presentation, and we would have a discussion on the points covered by the presenter. Mr. Leong, one of the trainers, was the facillitator, and he always got us thinking with his thought-provoking questions. Ms, Wong, another trainer who is incidentally my Learning Lab English teacher, would give additional points along the way. Generally, the discussions were in depth, and the students participated enthusiastically. I felt challenged by the issues affecting the world, and the thought of making the world a better place invigorated me.

My 'homework' for the week was to prepare a presentation on free trade's impact on the agriculture of developing countries. I did some research through the World Trade Organisation's (WTO) website, and other online newspapers. My mother also gave me a crash course on economics theories. I was fascinated with new ideas such as "comparative advantages" and "eonomies of scale". Through research on this project, I realised that while free trade is supposed to bring aggregate benefits to societies, it also can affect the agriculture sector in developing countries adversely. It took me 2000 words to answer the question given, definitely the longest essay I have ever written.
As the conference drew nearer, Mr. Leong, who had attended a course in negotiation in University, gave us negotiation tips, such as prioritising both parties interests, and listening patiently to the other party. He also recommended methods for curbing nervousness, and speaking effectively. Ms. Ong helped everyone in the team to look good and professional. She even bought vests and other accessories for all of us.

With the teachers' and my parents' help, I feel more ready to face the HMCA conference. Now, I am actively researching to role play a Mexican delegate. This is certainly a valuable learning experience for me. My 'Oh no' has now changed into a 'I can hardly wait!'