Future Diplomats Shine at Model UN Day

4/9/2025

The art of diplomacy and debate was on full display across campus as sophomores participated in their annual Model UN Day on April 4.

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Guided by upper school World History faculty Skeff Young, Eric Shapiro, Rob Fish, Jess Chen, Lexy Higgins and Lisa Berrol, students tackled global issues on six committees: East Asia, World Health, Migration: Europe, Arms Proliferation and Disarmament, Climate: Agriculture and Water, and Gender Equality.

“I enjoyed how engaged and dedicated all of the delegates were during the debate,” said Ollie Mui ’27, one of the secretary generals of the Migration: Europe committee. "I learned how to edit position papers and speeches, parliamentary procedure and general information regarding migration in Europe.”

From preparation to their attire, Shapiro, who oversaw the Migration committee, was impressed by the students’ attention to detail. “They were engaged throughout and contributed from their country’s perspective,” he said. “They did a good job analyzing the language of resolutions and amendments in order to advocate for their government’s positions and to find commonalities with other countries.”

Meanwhile, in the Regional Focus: East Asia committee, Chen was “pleasantly surprised by how invested and enthusiastic the students were from the very start.”

“We were able to debate several issues, including press freedoms, cyber trafficking and the South China Sea dispute,” she shared. “Students were able to learn about the wide range of perspectives on these issues, as well as the complex dynamics that go into getting resolutions passed in the United Nations.”

Emily Kasoff ’27, one of the secretary generals in the East Asia committee, enjoyed delving into a specific topic within the region and learning from that perspective.

“In the afternoon, our committee had a crisis of an earthquake that hit North Korea and triggered a tsunami which delegates also handled with a resolution,” she said.

Representing China, Phin Savage ’27, was a part of the Regional Focus: South China Sea committee.

“I liked working with other delegates to achieve a common goal, and also the improvisational nature of the simulation,” he said. “The speeches we delivered, along with all of the on-the-fly speaking, definitely improved my public speaking skills.”

Watching his classmates enjoy the process made Noah Adler ’27, secretary general of the East Asia committee and a member of the School’s official Model UN team, happy. “I wasn’t expecting such active participation, and seeing my classmates debating, discussing and sharing was amazing,” he said. “Hearing them say how much they enjoyed it and that they are considering joining the MUN team was great!”