Model UN Day is Filled With Debate and Diplomacy

4/5/2023

As they tackled real world issues like political security and climate crises, tenth grade student delegates put their best communication and negotiation skills to work during the annual Model United Nations Day on Friday, March 3.

The daylong event was organized by tenth grade World History II faculty: Skeff Young, Matt Ives, Lexy Higgins, Eric Shapiro and Lisa Berrol. Students prepared for the big day by researching their assigned country and its viewpoints while also learning about resolution writing.

“They come to appreciate the art of compromise and the complexities of international relations,” explained Young. “This need to compromise, yet respect the values, traditions, culture and perspective of the country they are representing as delegates in the committee is the tension they experience. They appreciate more deeply the idea of perspective, history and culture of a country (a society) that is often rather distant or foreign to their own.”

The young delegates participated in one of five committees: Migration: Europe;
Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women and Girls; Climate: Water and Agriculture; Technology and Political Security and Regional Focus: Southeast Asia.

Sophie Moussapour ’25 represented China in the Climate committee. Her group faced the threat of a dam being built in Ethiopia which would improve the nation’s energy supply but decrease water access. “To resolve this crisis we passed many resolutions enacting and threatening sanctions from various countries on Ethiopia and incentivized and supported Ethiopia in clean energy solutions,” she said.

Young noted there is always some trepidation before MUN Day but the students “surprise themselves about their high level of engagement and interest in the tasks at hand in committee; the seriousness of the discussion and debate.”

“I learned a lot about myself as a learner and collaborator, but more importantly about the talent and strengths the students in my grade have whether it be in eloquent and thought-out speeches, detailed policy, or capabilities pertaining to collaboration and group work,” added Moussapour.