From Jan. 15 to Jan. 18, Kingswood Oxford students joined almost 2,000 others from around the world on the campus of Yale University for the 52nd edition of the Yale Model United Nations (YMUN) conference. A delegation of 32 KO students, along with history teachers Micah Duhaime and Steph Sperber, participated in YMUN.
The KO Model U.N. club is one of the most popular and represents a cohort of intellectually curious students who have an interest in collaboration and global issues. “MUN brings together an interesting cross-section of students together to work on a variety of problems that they might not be tackling in classes together,” Ms. Sperber said.
These students began their preparation in October, learning about the United Nations and its role. They were then placed in one of YMUN’s many committees, ranging from general assemblies like the United Nations Children Fund to regional bodies like the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. YMUN also offers specialized committees like Money Heist and Crisis in Bikini Bottom, which bring UN procedure to other situations from the real world, history, or a form of media.
This year, KO had a diverse delegation, ranging from first-timers to four-year YMUN seniors. The process originally began with an application process. Many students joined after being recommended to try Model U.N. while others were looking to try something new. “I thought Model U.N. would be a good way to introduce myself to politics and global issues,” junior Ben Naujoks said. “Model U.N. allowed me to work with and meet others with similar interests.”
The Model U.N. club is spearheaded by Mr. Duhaime and Ms. Sperber. They were both integral to the club’s structure and participation in YMUN. “I think Model U.N. is about collective problem-solving and taking on the points of view and perspectives of others,” Mr. Duhaime said. Both Mr. Duhaime and Ms. Sperber had worked together before at a different school, and they led a Model U.N. program there as well. After the retirement of longtime Model U.N. club leader and history teacher Stacey Savin, Mr. Duhaime and Ms. Sperber took command of KO’s Model U.N. program. “We have very complimentary personalities,” Ms. Sperber commented. “He is very organized about things, while I sometimes like to scale them back a bit.”
Preparation for YMUN was key for the KO delegations. Students did a lot of research into their countries and their respective stances on the topics that were going to be discussed. Furthermore, they wrote a position paper that summarized potential solutions, ideologies, and the history of their country on the topic. These papers were then submitted to Yale. “I spent around a couple hours writing my position papers and thinking about what I am going to bring up in committee,” senior Daniel Asare said.
Mr. Duhaime and Ms. Sperber highlighted the club’s senior leadership when it came to running some club meetings and teaching newcomers about Model U.N. The senior Co-chairs were Ava Bonsignore, Nirali Iyengar, Dorian Ciscel, Ishaan Bafna, and Shreya Adlakha. “I’m proud of the hard work of the club leadership,” Mr. Duhaime said. “It’s been great seeing them step into real leadership positions and mentoring others.”
The YMUN conference was kick-started by an opening ceremony in Yale’s Woolsey Hall. The guest speaker was author and Princeton lecturer Professor Rick Barton. He spoke about his time working with the U.N. and what students can do today. YMUN is an incredibly diverse conference, featuring students from over 35 countries and all over the U.S. as well.
The conference gave students insights into the U.N., a chance to be global problem solvers, and a preview of college and Yale University. Throughout the weekend, delegates attended more than 15 hours of committee sessions on Yale’s campus and at the Omni hotel. Outside of committee sessions, students enjoyed meals together while experiencing new cultures and languages. This year’s conference schedule was impacted by an unexpected snowfall on Sunday, which cut the last committee session short. Although this was chaotic at first, students got back together and experienced the hallmark New England snow. For some of YMUN’s international students, it was their first time seeing snow.
“I’m thrilled with how the conference went,” Mr. Duhaime said. “I was pleased with how much the students got into it and enjoyed YMUN.” Ms. Sperber also agreed. “It was nice seeing all the students bond,” Ms. Sperber added. “There was a lot of hanging out between students that may not have happened if we were at school.” Many students also loved the conference. “I had a great time at YMUN,” Ben said. “Everyone I met was super friendly, and it was interesting to learn about others’ experiences.”
Despite the chilly weather on Sunday, KO received some great news. Ben won an outstanding delegate award in his committee, while Ishaan and senior Alexandre Picard both won honorable mentions in their respective committees. These awards, a testament to the students’ hard work, are a reflection of the strength of Model U.N. at KO.
Despite the culmination of YMUN, KO’s Model U.N. is still going. Now, focus has shifted toward preparing for the annual KO Model United Nations Conference (KOMUN) on March 7. KOMUN is similar to YMUN, except now the committee chairs are KO students while the delegates are middle schoolers. There are delegations from many local middle schools, including a group of students from the KO Middle School. The topic for KOMUN this year is gender inequality, and delegates will work together to craft an effective solution. Almost 120 delegates are expected to attend.
We commend Yale and their students for running another successful iteration of YMUN and congratulate all of the KO delegates. We are looking forward to KOMUN and seeing how the delegates tackle another world issue!
