In early February, 35 students from BH-BL High School participated in a Model United Nations (UN) conference at Boston University. More than 2,300 students took part in the three-day conference, during which students worked in committee to debate and address important and critical topics facing our world.
“The students represented BH-BL well and worked hard in five different committee sessions to come up with comprehensive, thoughtful solutions to various global issues,” says Model UN Advisor Jeffrey Reynolds. Each student utilized and demonstrated strong communication, collaboration and critical-thinking skills to represent their assigned country and to help craft detailed resolutions that were then voted on.
Three BH-BL students were recognized by their committee chairs with awards at the conference’s closing ceremonies. Congratulations to:
- Max Mackey who received a diplomatic commendation award for representing Germany in the Office for Outer Space Affairs committee,
- Ali Rispole who received honorable mention as the representative of Italy in the Committee on the Status of Women, and
- Danny White received honorable mention in the Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species, representing Italy.
Advisor Renee Tolan explained that prior to arriving at the conference, the group visited Quincy Market and took a guided, live-action tour of the Boston Tea Party Museum. Students got the chance to participate in a simulated town meeting and to climb aboard a replica of an actual Tea party ship, and some took the opportunity to toss a “tea chest” into the harbor.
Model UN is an educational simulation centered around the activities of the United Nations with the goals of furthering understanding about the United Nations, educating students about international relations and world issues, and promoting peace and the work of the UN through cooperation and diplomacy. BH-BL students in Model UN must do extensive preparation for each conference, which involves conducting background research on their country and committee topics, writing a research-based position paper (with formal citations), and they must actively understand the rules and procedures of Harvard-style debate.
Next month, 26 students from the BH-BL CIVITAS Model UN club will travel to New York City for the National Model UN Conference.