-
Junior School students canoeing during a school trip.
York School News
Model UN Club proud to represent York at an international gathering
On February 8, 13 York students flew to Boston, Massachusetts to participate in the MITMUNC XVI Model United Nations Conference hosted at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). This conference is the premier international Model UN conference for high school students with a special focus on small committee sizes. We joined delegates from around the world who came together to discuss a variety of global issues.
After arriving in Boston on Thursday afternoon, we had dinner at the famous Quincy Market downtown. On Friday, we explored the New England Aquarium and walked around the Harvard campus in Cambridge before heading back to the hotel to prepare for opening ceremonies and the first committee on Friday night.
During the three-day event, we participated in six committee sessions that were simulations of meetings of the World Health Organization, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN Economic & Social Council, the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs, the UN High Commission for Refugees, and the International Court of Justice. We represented the interests and opinions of a number of countries and worked with other delegates to create, debate and pass resolutions. Overall, we had a lot of fun, honed our collaboration and communication skills, and learned more about the world we live in.
One of the highlights of the event was hearing Dr. Christopher Capozzola, a Political and Legal History professor at MIT, speak about how the past informs the future. Dr. Capozzola’s research interests include the history of citizenship, war, and the military in modern American history. He is the author of two books, Uncle Sam Wants You: World War I and the Making of the Modern American Citizen and Bound by War: How the United States and the Philippines Built America's First Pacific Century. In addition to being a MacVicar Faculty Fellow and the Senior Associate Dean for Open Learning, Dr. Capozzola is a Distinguished Lecturer of the Organization of American Historians who has spoken at museums, libraries, theaters, and historical societies.
Jack M A - Grade 11 student & MUN Head Delegate for the York School
“The committees themselves, at least in my experience, had been so enlightening…Over the 14-hour course of our sessions, our talks would continue to get more interesting as those in my committee (especially me) became more comfortable sharing our passion for the topic. After our plane ride back, I spent some time reflecting on how cool it really was to come together and build relationships with all of these people from around the world whom I previously didn’t know.”
- Max S.
