When the FCHS HMC delegates paid their travel fees, we never expected to stay an extra 2.5 days. But, then again, no one really expected a blizzard, which local news sources are calling “once in a lifetime,” to engulf the Northeast coast.
Harvard Model Congress is a mock congressional conference hosted by Harvard University and the Sheraton Hotel in Boston. Run completely by Harvard undergraduates, the conference draws dozens of schools across the nation to engage in legislative debates and portrayals of current government officials. Students are assigned officials to represent and are divided into respective subcommittees of Congress or placed in a governmental entity such as the FBI or the Presidential Cabinet. They are then given different topics, like foreign aid or trade in the South China Sea, and are tasked with creating and advocating for bills. Students are also given the option to participate in the judiciary system, becoming a justice in the Supreme Court or a witness in the local district court. All of this occurs over the span of 4 days in late February. However, this HMC has a twist to it.
32 students and 3 staff members, including me, are currently occupying the Sheraton Hotel lobby during this winter storm. We were originally supposed to leave on Sunday, February 22nd, at approximately 8 pm. When our original flight got cancelled, we were rescheduled for a flight on the afternoon of Tuesday, the 24th. Yet during one of our group meetings, this flight got cancelled as well. We are now set to leave on Wednesday morning, but weather experts are saying that the storm will only get worse on Wednesday.
Yet, all is well among the students. We are housed, fed, and warm. Our advisors, Mr. Hill, Mr. Ulmer, and Mrs. Perkins, have been keeping us entertained with euchre tournaments and movie nights. We are also currently doing a full day of school in the hotel lobby, emailing teachers for virtual assignments, and making study tables. We also knew about our situation before the storm hit, so many of us went to the nearby Trader Joe’s and stocked up on light foods and drinks. The Sheraton Hotel is also in full operation, so we are able to get small pastries and Starbucks drinks. They were even kind enough to keep us in the same rooms that we stayed in throughout the conference. The FCHS Administration team (including the member stuck here with us) has been incredibly gracious and understanding of our circumstances. Teachers have also been thoroughly accommodating, even though most of us only have our computers.
HMC is honestly an experience of a lifetime. I love HMC. However, when I said “I never want this to end,” I didn’t intend for my wishes to come true to the point where I might not sleep in my bed until Saturday.
