From March 4th to 10th, 33 students across grades 9 to 12, and faculty members Mr. Verne Becott, Dr. John Hughes, and Ms. Christine Wessler, traveled to New York to participate in the National High School Model United Nations 2013 (NHSMUN 2013) conference. Upon arrival at midnight, the group embarked a mini-excursion down to Times Square to search for some food to satisfy the hunger after a long flight – and the delegates had a first taste of the vibrant Big Apple.
The next day, delegates and faculty scattered into three groups, each exploring a different perspective of New York: Mr. Becott lead some aspiring financiers to Wall Street and the World Trade Center, Dr. Hughes took a team of explorers to the Explorers’ Club, while Ms. Wessler brought a group of artists and art historians to the Metropolitan Museum of Art as well as the SOHO area. It was also the birthday of Ms. Wessler’s daughter, Brittany, who traveled down from Montreal to enjoy a mini-family-reunion.
The following morning marked the beginning of the Model UN conference. Representing the Republic of Korea (with the exception of Kevin Chien and Victor Cheung representing United Kingdom in specialized committees), delegates devoted their full energy and attention to debate, discussion, and collaboration. Issues covered range from missiles to Arab Spring to housing and settlement difficulties, and delegates had their say on these issues through drafting working papers and draft resolutions. During the following few days, delegates also took part in valuable learning experiences, including a mission briefing at the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Korea to the United Nations, and a plenary session/closing ceremony at the United Nations headquarters.
In between these sessions, delegates also enjoyed themselves at events such as a hockey game between the New York Rangers and the Ottawa Senators, the musical Wicked, a reunion with Georgians who presently work in New York, as well as the delegate social dance. In addition, the delegation celebrated Grade 12 student Zach Hauser’s birthday on Thursday night.
In short, the trip has been a rewarding one, allowing delegates to immerse themselves in the world of global issues and in the ever-inspiring city of New York. The end of the conference and the trip does not mean an end, but rather, it marks “the beginning of a legacy, a future where we all take actions on issues we should care about,” said the Secretary-General Hannah Olliff at the Closing Ceremony.
