Model UN Brings Politics and Students Together

BB&N students convened once again this year at Harvard University's Model UN to shape the hypothetical future of international politics. Through a series of sessions proctored by Harvard undergraduates, students donned ambassadorial caps of various countries and followed real UN procedures as they worked to draft and pass resolutions.

The Harvard conference hosted 3,000 students in total, including over 200 from international origins. Under the guidance of US English Teacher Alicia Googins '96, 25 BB&N students participated in the proceedings at Harvard.

“Harvard is a particularly rewarding experience because most of the people there really care about what happens in our world, and they are willing to put in the time and effort to find a solution,” said Diana Enriquez '09, whose experience at the Model UN has piqued her interest in a political career. “It's also an international conference, so one ends up meeting students from countries who have experienced these problems first hand.”

Although this is the Model UN, the atmosphere and attitudes of those involved sometimes make it feel less “model” and more real—the proceedings often become charged, intense and exhausting. Senior Marina Keegan and Junior Paul Mannix who represented the Central African Republic, spent three nights in a row in committee sessions that ended past midnight. Their long hours paid off when they were given the Honorable Delegate award from the Harvard moderators for their work in drafting and passing a seven page resolution.

“We debated the conflict in Darfur in addition to the “Brain Drain” crisis which entails the migration of healthcare workers from third world countries to the more developed world,” Keegan said. “The best part of the Model UN is that everyone is so involved and devoted to making it seem as real as possible…there's a sense of urgency and importance in the work we're doing.”

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