Masters Hosts Successful Model UN Conference

The School proudly hosted its largest Model UN conference to date, welcoming 17 schools and a delegation of 260 students — 84 of whom were middle school participants. 

“It was an amazing event,” said faculty co-advisor Ben Thorn. “A highlight for me was seeing the months of hard work that our students poured into the conference come together. The response from the visiting delegates and advisors was overwhelmingly positive, and Ms. Farrar and I could not be more proud of the team.”

Secretary-General Neena Atkins ’26, Secretary-General Sebby Simkin ’26 and Director-General Noah Adler ’27 organized this year’s day of debate and diplomacy. They rallied the upper school MUN chairs for the big day, along with Clio Foley ’26, Ginger Yancovich ’26, Talia Hird ’27 and faculty advisor Stella Banino, who worked with the middle school students.

Committees tackled topics from AI to trade wars to witchcraft to pop culture, and included General Assemblies (World Trade Organization, UN Commission for Refugees, Disarmament and International Security Committee), Specialized (Economic Thinkers) and Crisis (Severance, Ad Hoc, Salem Witch Trials). The middle school committees included Space Traitors, Formula One, Hunger Games and UN Security Council: Myanmar and Venezuela. 

Fifth grader Theo Williams and sixth grader Inanna Cappello shared the position of Myanmar in the General Assembly, the UN Security Council. Williams explained, “Myanmar was important because one of the main issues was the civil war there, so we had a lot of pressure and attention on us.”

Reflecting on his first MasMUNC experience, Williams said, “Model UN is a really good chance to get to know someone's personality. Some people are flexible and easy to work with, making them good friends. Some people love peace and speak confidently, making them good leaders. Model UN is a great place to make friends and interact with people. That's why I love it.”

For Simkin, a senior leader, that’s the kind of enthusiasm he found relatable: “Seeing everyone really perform at their best while still having a really good time because they're doing what they love — that's the point at the end of the day, right?”

At the end of their MasMUNC day, Atkins, also a senior, felt quite emotional. “I still remember being a nervous freshman delegate, then learning how to lead as a chair sophomore year and later taking on the challenges of director-general before stepping into secretary-general this year. I’m so proud of the work our whole team has put into these committees, so grateful for how much this conference has shaped me and so excited to see everything come to life one last time!”