Model UN Conference Teaches Real-World Skills

Sports have their championship tourneys, musicians have their festivals and competitions, plays have their opening nights—and Model UN has CMUNCE, the Columbia Model United Nations Conference and Exposition. “This really is the jewel of what we do—the highlight of the year,” says history teacher Arturo Bagley, who serves as one of Rivers’s Model UN coordinators and who accompanied the school’s team of eight students to the New York City competition last weekend.

“This was my third time at the Columbia Model UN conference, and I’ve never had a bad experience,” says Sydney Greer ’20. “It’s well run and fast paced, allowing for an interesting experience. Most people at the conference are competitive but are also incredibly friendly.”

Model UN, explains Bagley, bears some similarity to debate and mock trial but also differs significantly from those activities. “Model UN helps students learn about the countries of the world and the ongoing conflicts of the world, and helps them develop their skills at negotiation,” he says. “Speaking well and having presence is significant, but Model UN is less about speaking and more about engagement and negotiation.” As such, he says that Model UN may appeal more to quieter students who might not feel comfortable giving speeches but who are eager to participate and negotiate within their groups, called “committees.”

A glance at some of the committees gives a sense of the activity’s scope. Michael Idzal ’21 and Dana Lowitt ’23 were both assigned the role of Russian delegates to the Congress of Vienna, deciding the fate of Europe after the Napoleonic wars. Greer played Carter-era economic policy director Claire Edison on a committee titled “Decision 1980: A Referendum on America,” focusing on the 1980 presidential election. On a committee called “Moors and Christians in 1000s Spain,” Romy Arie ’21 weighed in as King of Leon, Alfonso VI. Ian Behrstock ’22 took on the position of Housing and Urban Development secretary in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

Greer—who earned a commendation for her performance—describes her preparation for the conference (students find out about their committee assignments approximately a month beforehand): “I wrote a position paper which talked about my role and how I planned to deal with the various crises we had to solve. My role was as the economic policy director for the campaign, so I focused on understanding the Carter economic policy and what I would do to specifically help repair it.” Were there any parallels between the election of 1980 and the present day? “Model UN simulations always get away from what would happen in real life—that’s what makes it fun,” says Greer. “But there were definitely overlaps to the current election cycle. There were negative and slanderous news reports coming out of both campaigns and manipulation of the public perception, as well as media bias on both sides.”

The committee sessions are at the heart of the conference, but, says Bagley, CMUNCE is notable for a couple of special features. Because it is in New York, home of the actual UN, teams are able to schedule diplomatic visits with real UN members. The Rivers team visited the Irish diplomatic mission and spent an unhurried morning with Martin Gallagher, counsellor and head of public diplomacy and human affairs. “He was great and interested and gave us all the time in the world,” says Bagley. “It was exciting.” For his part, Gallagher later tweeted, “Delighted to meet students from @The Rivers School. An opportunity to speak about Ireland’s six decade active commitment to the #UnitedNations in peacekeeping, disarmament, development, and human rights.”

Another unusual feature of CMUNCE is the “midnight crisis,” which is exactly what it sounds like: A handful of committees are chosen to undergo a late-night crisis, with student participants tumbling out of bed and returning to the negotiating table in the wee hours, just as real-life diplomats must do occasionally. The Rivers team, sadly, was not represented on any of the midnight crisis teams—a mild disappointment to some.

Finally, CMUNCE differs from some other Model UN conferences in that each committee is presented with a twist in real time—a crisis inserted at the last minute that forces participants to think on their feet and perhaps to pivot from their planned arguments. “They know it’s coming, but they don’t know what it is. That shakes it up and makes it exciting,” says Bagley.

Model UN is a competition, and winning is an honor—but a bit beside the point, says Bagley. “The kids are excited, they learn a lot, and they grow. That’s what I like to see. If they win a prize, that’s icing on the cake.”

For Greer, Model UN simply aligns with her interests and priorities. “I started doing it because I had and still have a strong interest in government and politics. I’ve learned a lot in MUN about how to negotiate, gain concessions for a specific group, and solve challenging situations affecting many people.”

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