After weeks of preparation, 14 Berkshire students, accompanied by 2 chaperones, left campus for the Yale Model United Nations (YMUN) conference, a 4-day international event known for its prestige and innovative committees. This year, the conference comprised 53 committees and welcomed approximately 2,000 delegates from around the world.
The conference officially began at 7:00 pm, Thursday, with an opening ceremony in Woolsey Hall, Yale’s main auditorium. At the ceremony, delegates heard from the Secretary General, Emma Upson, and other student organizers. To conclude the ceremony, delegates heard from Rick Barton, a distinguished diplomat who had worked for the United Nations, and then from Upson, who dismissed the delegates.
The committee sessions were held at two main locations: The Omni Hotel and Yale’s campus. The committee locations rotated throughout the weekend, giving delegates an opportunity to experience sitting in a college classroom. Committees discussed topics ranging from the Manhattan Project to the regulation of the use of bioweapons in international conflict.
The three-and-a-half days of intense committee sessions were spent in writing speeches, collaborating with other delegates, and, eventually, drafting resolutions- long days that ended with evening events and little sleep.
However, the conference isn’t just defined by poor sleep and long hours, but also by hard work, intellectual growth, and, most importantly, collaboration. The YMUN conference brings students from across the world together, students who share a common interest and are eager to become collaborative and respectful leaders. YMUN helped foster these relationships through various gatherings, such as the Delegate Dance.
After six committee sessions, delegates were ready to tie up any loose ends on their resolutions and participate in “Fun MUN,” the final committee session where delegates get to talk to their friends they’ve made and their chairs about things that are not Model UN related. Sadly, the final committee session was forced to conclude early due to inclement weather, and most delegates, including Berkshire, left early.
Despite the last day being cut short, it was still an amazing trip and a spectacular conference that showed us why working together is so important and taught us how to conduct civil debate, where all opinions are heard, and all ideas are valued. This collaboration and debate offer hope of shaping a generation of leaders who can work together and value respectful teamwork.
