Dear future delegates and faculty advisors,

No simple letter could express the excitement with which we welcome you to Harvard Model Congress 2003, the 18th and most promising year of the nation's premier American government simulation.

From its humble beginnings with a handful of Harvard undergraduates and few hundred high school students, HMC has grown to over 150 staff and 1300 delegates from across the country. Over the years, HMC has undergone tremendous expansion and many changes, and we have inherited an HMC that is much larger, more professional, and far more comprehensive than the founders could have ever imagined.

This year, we are proud to continue to offer two relatively new programs that bring the energy and inspiration of our program to more high school students across the country. Harvard Model Congress San Francisco will offer West Coast schools and students the opportunity to participate in an exciting, high-caliber American government simulation, while Harvard Political Education Program (HPEP), a civics engagement and education initiative, helps bring our mission and goals to the classrooms of our local Cambridge and Boston communities.

At the same time, we are also working to improve the quality of our hallmark Boston conference - restructuring Senate committees to facilitate increased interaction between staff and delegates; introducing exciting new programs like the National Governor's Association; and streamlining processes and procedures behind-the-scenes to make this year's conference smoother and more enjoyable for everyone involved.

Underlying all of these changes and innovations is the same fundamental belief that inspired the founding of Harvard Model Congress over seventeen years ago: a faith in the ability of young people to make a difference in their schools, their communities, their nation, and their world. More concretely, we know and understand the role of inspiration, self-confidence, teamwork, communication, compromise, and fun in this process - and will always strive to make HMC a place where delegates can experience and learn these values first hand.

Your talent and enthusiasm continually renew and strengthen our commitment to this mission, and we cannot wait for the opportunity to learn with and from you in the coming year. On behalf of our executive board and the entire staff of Harvard Model Congress 2003, we thank you for your hard work and dedication; truly, none of this would be possible without you.

We look forward to meeting you soon and warmly welcome your input, suggestions, and comments in the meantime.

Yours truly,

Fiery Cushman, Co-President
Lucien Smith, Co-President