On the weekend of Feb. 20, 2025, Becton’s Nearly Famous Debate Team traveled to Boston, Massachusetts, to participate in the 40th Harvard Model Congress.
Harvard Model Congress is a government simulation that provides high school students with the opportunity to develop a variety of skills, including public speaking, writing, debate and negotiation.
This prestigious event, held at Harvard University, brings together students from around the world to engage in realistic government simulations. It is the largest congressional simulation conference globally, organized and run by Harvard undergraduates!
According to Mr. Bill Carr, coach of the Becton Debate Team, “Over 1700 delegates from nearly 100 worldwide schools took part in the conference. Preparations for the weekend began last May and this was our largest contingent (17) of Seniors at any conference.”
The days at Harvard began bright and early for the students, as Mr. Carr got everyone’s day underway at 7:30 a.m. to prepare students for a morning filled with hearings and committee meetings. Students were given a two-hour lunch break before continuing their activities, with the day concluding around 5:00 p.m.. Afterward, students had free time to socialize with friends and explore the city of Boston. With a curfew set at 11:30 p.m., students were expected to rest and prepare for the busy schedule awaiting them the following day.
During the conference, each student was assigned to a specific committee and paired to a Congressman. “For the event, the student must abide by their Congressman’s political views and policies,” Senior Noella Turla noted. To prepare, students were required to study the topics previously discussed in their committee and research their Congressman’s political history, representing them in front of a crowd to the best of their ability.
Turla was assigned to Congressman Gus Bilirakis, “I researched Bilirakis’ political views on high interest rates and digital transformation in small businesses.”
Senior Karolina Rupinski had been assigned Hawaii’s second congregational district representative, Jill Tokuda. While Senior Eric Jiang represented Tommy Tuberville of Alabama and had to present bills about election interference and globalization of the US.
Senior Tenzin Namdol represented Kentucky Jr. Senator Rand Paul. “In the committee meetings we would talk about topics like Supreme Court reform or Deepfakes and how they affect American Society, and collaborate with other delegates to create legislation,” she furthers, “These pieces of legislation would be debated and voted on whether we should pass it or not.”
“During the trip, students were expected to make speeches and bills on their topics. Speeches are usually given during moderated caucuses or with speaker’s lists,” Turla divulges, speaking more specifically about her responsibilities, “Bills are made with fellow delegates during unmoderated caucuses. For example, Karolina Rupinski and I created the DIETER Act which encouraged digital literacy on cybersecurity among small businesses.”
Indeed, hard work paid off as Becton celebrated numerous accomplishments, with over 75% of the delegation’s legislation being passed. Mr. Carr also commends Rupinski for enhancing her “already outstanding public speaking skills” as Rupinski spoke twice on bills from different committees.
Another prime example of success is senior Eric Jiang– who was recognized with Honorable Mention, Best Delegate, in the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Jiang credited his success to actively participating in debates both for and against other bills. He also introduced practical, bipartisan bills and remained fully engaged throughout the conference.
Other accomplishments included Eric Jiang, Noella Turla, and Karolina Rupinski receiving Harvard Model Congress Scholarships. Rupinski explains, “a special committee within Harvard Model Congress selects recipients based on academic achievement and community engagement. Applicants submit a form detailing their GPA, leadership roles, volunteer work, and extracurricular activities, along with a letter of recommendation from their coach.” This year, three Becton students were awarded the Harvard Model Congress Scholarship.
Overall, the trip provided students with immersive and enriching experiences, placing them in situations where they were expected to act on the spot. “The trip helped give me confidence in my debating skills,” Turla shares, adding, “Speaking in front of people about difficult real-life topics is terrifying. However, I encouraged myself to face my fears by continually giving speeches and participating in activities. This helped improve my confidence in my critical thinking and public speaking.”
Jiang also expressed his gratitude for the opportunity to attend HMC, “It provided me with the experience needed to argue against plans that may seem reasonable but, in reality, are not.”
Despite the wealth of knowledge gained during the conference, some of our students’ favorite moments included exploring Boston’s sights and building relationships with other conference attendees. “Our delegation went to Quincy Market in Boston by taking public transportation one night, and it was really fun! Other times we would usually just hang out around the Prudential Center, work on things for meetings the next day, or hang out with each other in our rooms!” shared Namdol.
Rupinski agreed, highlighting the visit to Quincy Market and the amazing food it had to offer.
For Sophomore Andi Passley, a standout moment was attending her first full-house session, along with her committee meeting.
Among all the positives, senior Turla expresses her sadness about saying goodbye to Harvard Model Congress. “These memories with some amazing people will forever be cherished.”
As the debate season has concluded, please see below for a complete list of our Nearly Famous Debate Team’s achievements during this season:
- Team Results: 1st Place – River Dell (Oct), 3rd Place – Tenafly (Oct), 3rd Place – Becton (Nov), 1st Place – Becton (Jan), 3rd Place – NVOT (Feb), 3rd Place Varsity Program, 4th Place School Program (Varsity + JV)
- Individual Achievements: 2nd Place Overall Team: Karolina Rupinski & Baback Ghalamsiah (20 – 4), 4th Place Overall Speaker: Baback Ghalamsiah (388), Yale MC: Best Legislation – Joe Lapitan, Harvard MC: Honorable Mention, Best Delegate – Eric Jiang
