Outstanding Delegate, Enlightening Experience at Harvard Model UN
Twelve students journeyed to Boston from January 25–28 to attend Harvard University’s Model UN conference, perhaps the country’s largest and best high school simulation of the United Nations.
Over four days and nights, Groton students mingled with peers from all over the country and the world to discuss issues such as refugees, drug trafficking, and climate change. Most of the Groton students represented Pakistan on the UN’s Economic and Social Council.
The more experienced Groton students participated on advanced committees, including simulations of the Vietnamese Communist Party Politburo in 1955 and the Working Committee of the Indian National Congress Party in 1966. Jack Wilmerding ’19 won an award for Outstanding Delegate while portraying McGeorge Bundy ’36 in a simulation of a meeting of Lyndon B. Johnson’s cabinet in December, 1963. After falling asleep on Friday night after a long committee meeting, both he and Shirley Li ’19 were woken up at 1:00 a.m. by their Harvard committee leaders and made to attend a “crisis” meeting of their committees until 4:00 a.m.
Raad Zied ‘19, who partnered with Gabriel Scholl ’19 on the UN Human Rights Council, said that the experience helped him gain a keen appreciation for the work that his father does as an administrator at the UN.
In preparation for the conference, all the delegates from Groton spent two hours every Sunday afternoon during the term researching their topics and individuals. Students enjoyed the opportunity to spend some time off campus learning more about important global issues and interacting with interesting and bright students from the rest of the world. Fran Saldivar ‘19, who was a member of the Press Corps and reported for El Mundo, Spain’s largest daily newspaper, called her experience at the Harvard Model UN a “great time.”—Tommy Lamont, Model UN advisor, history teacher
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