MUN 2025 Trip to New York
By Regan Elizabeth Mull
Model United Nations, or MUN for short, is one of the longest-running clubs at LSAS. It is a mainly student-run club that simulates the United Nations and educates us about international policy and politics. Throughout the year, we learned to write and research for our country’s position papers, give one-minute impromptu speeches for moderate caucuses, and use all the technical vocabulary used daily in the United Nations. Through months of planning and preparation, we successfully planned and pulled off a trip to New York City.
Above: The MUN team preparing for the conference
While in New York, we participated in the National High School Model United Nations (NHSMUN) conference and represented the Republic of Congo on four committees: C34, CMS, DISEC, and UNESCO. I was in C34 and spent several sessions putting forward my country’s policies and collaborating with other nations to seek ways to reduce intercommunal violence in South Sudan. As a committee, we eventually created two different resolution papers and passed both of them. During the session, we also made several new friends from places like Italy, Mexico, Ghana, and Japan! This demonstrates how international relations don’t just stop when the conference ends but can continue to flourish in everyday life.
Above: The MUN team preparing for the conference
As a delegation, we also attended additional activities such as speaker sessions and the infamous delegate dance. Both speaker sessions were equally interesting and engaging. The first was a college preparation session, featuring counselors from schools like NYU, Columbia, and UMASS. There was a lot of valuable information on the college application process and how colleges regard a balanced course load. The other speaker series included representatives from the United Nations, specifically from Rwanda, Latvia, and the United Kingdom. They discussed their specific jobs, how they obtained them, and how we can make a difference as teenagers. One specific way I learned we can help is by emailing the United Nations with proposals for handling certain conflicts. If the proposals are strong, they can be discussed and potentially implemented by the United Nations. This was exciting because it’s not common to see proposals from young minds being listened to and considered. Additionally, dressing up and attending the delegate dance provided us a great opportunity to meet more people and unwind after all the hard work we had put in during the session.
After the conference, our delegation visited several different notable sites in New York, such as Rockefeller Center, the Empire State Building, Times Square, Grand Central Station, Ground Zero, and the Statue of Liberty. We spent our first day of tourism taking the subway south, stopping at Ground Zero, and going through the museum to remember those who were lost in the tragedy of 9/11. Afterward, we went to the Staten Island Ferry and cruised there and back passing notable sites like the Brooklyn Bridge, Ellis Island, and the Statue of Liberty. At the end of that day, we went for dinner at this fancy French restaurant called Papillon and then walked Times Square and Rockefeller at night. The next day of tourism, we started by getting breakfast at Rockefeller. While there we got asked to be on the Kelly Clarkson show, which was very cool, though we ended up declining because some of us weren’t old enough to go on. After that, we went to Grand Central Station and the Empire State Building. Both of which were very beautiful, and I was very glad we got to see them. Afterward, we went to Central Park, and walked around the ponds, the castle, bridges, and the Central Park Zoo!
Above: The team at Times Square
Quotes From Students and Faculty on the Trip:
“I loved everything about it.”-Naomi
“I liked getting an opportunity to make speeches in front of people.”-Riley
“I liked meeting new friends and negotiating with different countries.”- Liya
“I loved exploring the city with all the kids.”- Blaya
Overall, the trip was an educational and fun experience. We walked away from it with new friends, a new understanding of the inner workings of the United Nations and peacebuilding process, and new stories to tell about our adventures in New York. Each member of our team had their own personal successes, whether it was going to talk in front of 80+ people for the first time, or leading an entire block and getting your paper passed. I am incredibly proud of every one of them and thankful for the school allowing us to do this trip.