Bringing American Government Overseas

Spring break for many undergraduates means sandy beaches with a sun setting in the distance and tan bodies streched out near the ocean. But for 28 Harvard students, the last week in March will mean a trip to rainy and humid Luxembourg to manage the third annual Harvard Model Congress Europe (HMCE) conference.

Started three years ago by Alexander E. Shustorovich '88, the HMCE is "the first and only American-run conference in Europe," Shustorovich says.

The major goal of the conference is to teach high school students from Europe and Africa about the American governmental system by organizing a three-day simulation of the U.S. Congress, National Security Council (NSC) and press corps, according to organizers.

"We hope students gain a better understanding of how the U.S. government works," says Andria L. Derstine '91, president of the HMCE, adding that the conference presents students a "different perspective" in governmental systems.

"It's an important educational experience," says Marc D. Posner '91, joint secretary of state of the HMCE. "Like it or not, America is a large political factor in the world. This will give [European students] a better understanding of why delays happen. Problems that arise may seem inexplicable to Europeans."

Organizers say that Europeans can learn about the two-party system in the U.S., which is different from the multi-party governments found in their own countries.

Some HMCE members, however, say they feel that it is not the European students who benefit the most, but rather they themselves who do.

"We benefit more than they can benefit from us," says James H. Fowler '92, chief of staff for HMCE. "They accuse us of being conservative," Fowler says, adding "Soviet students say maybe the U.S. could use more perestroika."

Fowler says that many Europeans believe that because there are only two parties in the American political system, a wide diversity of opinion is not represented in government.

A Model U.N. in Luxembourg

Planned for March 29, 30 and 31, the event will be held in Luxembourg City's European Parliament building. The use of the building was donated by the Luxembourg government for those three days following an agreement made with Prime Minister Jaques Santer during Santer's visit to a Harvard Model United Nations in 1987.

"[Santer] liked the idea of model U.N. and suggested that we do something similar in Luxembourg," says Shustorovich.

For the first time a simulation of the House of Representatives is planned, said organizers. Unlike the real House which contains 435 members, the simulation has only 300 participants. The full Senate, NSC and the press corps will again be represented as in past years.

Students in their respective committees will discuss AIDS, the international debt, the Central American drug problem, bilinguism in schools and changes in Eastern Europe.

HMCE members participate in the conference as committee chairs if they are staff members, while HMCE executives and president "shape the conference," says Derstine.

By role-playing a senator, representative, NSC member or journalist, students propose legislation, make foreign policy decisions, and publish a daily newspaper in English and French during the conference, coordinators say.

"The conference helps students, especially foreign students, with their English, public speaking, debating, writing and researching skills," says Derstine.

The Search for `Senators'

While the majority of high school students who attend the conference come from France and Luxembourg, Harvard Model Congress Europe under Derstine recruited students from other countries such as Morocco, the Soviet Union, South Africa, Italy and Austria.

HMCE members recruit participants from Europe and Africa by sending bulk mailings of brochures to high schools. Much of the recruiting was done during a visit to the European Commission of International Schools in The Hague last November by Derstine, Dean of the College Archie C. Epps III and Susan J. Stayn '91, the organization's liaison to the faculty.

Since its inception in 1987, the conference has grown "exponentially," says Derstine. The number of high school participants has doubled from last year's to more than 400 participants, Derstine says. She adds that the parliament building could only hold 450 students.

HMCE, a non-profit organization, is financed solely by fees it charges schools and students to participate in the conference. The group asks each school for an initial $100 to participate and $50 for each student attending the conference. HMCE has, however, attained reduced rates in transportation and hotel accomodations for the students and its members during conference time, HMCE members say.

Students say they won't mind missing the beach this spring break. Members say they look forward to the conference, which will allow them to "explore and see other countries and work with European students," according to Shustorovich.

And since the conference is only three days long, members say they will spend the rest of their vacations touring Europe: some plan to visit Paris while most this year will be going to Berlin to see the dismantled Berlin Wall.

"In a way," says Derstine, "it's a free trip to Europe for the staff."