Canterbury's MUN Chapter Takes on New York

Canterbury's Model United Nations (MUN) chapter traveled to Columbia University in New York City to compete in the Columbia Model United Nations Conference and Exposition (CMUNCE) on January 11-14, 2023.

CMUNCE is one of the country's premier Model United Nations conferences, bringing together more than 60 schools and 800 participating delegates from around the United States. 

Congratulations to the 15 Cougar delegates on their outstanding performances, including six who brought home awards! Below is a detailed recap from the MUN team. 

Laith A. (‘25) represented Maroon in the Encryption Eclipse three-way committee. Laith was on the hacker team facing up against world leaders and big tech CEOs. In the front room, Laith pushed for the rise of a hacker revolution and tried to drain many major companies' bank accounts to zero. In the back room, Laith focused on taking over Antarctica and creating Fortnite credit card bots. He stole data from all people in the world through Fortnite making him a multi-billionaire all while hiding from the world governments in the Arctic. Laith received the Best Delegate award for his efforts!

 

Grady L. (‘24)  was in the position of Ahmed Reda Guerdina in the Sand Wars 1963 committee. His main goal as the minister of agriculture was to ensure the food crisis came to a stop. He first tried to complete this goal in the front room with the other delegates, however nobody shared the same goal. He then took advantage of the food shortage to open restaurants and other food sources. He then ensured that his restaurants got all of the food. Not long after, he had a monopoly on all sources of food and water. Then using this he eliminated the food crisis and started to give his employees healthcare. After a while, the people were more reliant on him than the government. Grady then started a mafia which grew to 600,000 members and millions of supporters. He then used this mafia to hold a military coup in the capital city and take the rest of the committee hostage. This started a time crisis. The rest of the committee got the Russians involved and he was unfortunately captured. However, directly before he was executed he dropped down into tunnels that were dug multiple committee sessions prior and escaped until the final crisis update where the committee flooded the tunnels and drowned him. After the provisional government was recaptured by the rest of the committee they made sure that all of his foundations, and ideas were kept in place. In the end, the people were fed and had a higher standard of life. Grady received the Outstanding Delegate award for his efforts!

 

Madi Claire V. (‘24) was a Gamemaker and representative of District 9 in the Hunger Games Committee. Together, the Gamemakers worked to sabotage the 75th Hunger Games and organize a rebellion against the Capitol. She led directives to supply the country with food, train a rebel army, and help Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark escape the game. She received an Honorable Mention for her character of Grainne Harvester.

 

Mehereen C. (‘25) and Olivia T. (‘25) represented Hungary in the NATO committee and debated the topics of Cybersecurity and Climate Change. Hungary actively engaged with fellow delegates and passed two papers SECURE and CLIMACT. We were able to encourage member nations to enhance information-sharing mechanisms to detect and respond to cyber threats and created a plan to encourage member nations to transition to renewable energy sources to reduce carbon emissions and enhance energy security. Hungary demonstrated its commitment to helping NATO member nations to build a more secure and sustainable future. Mehereen and Olivia received Honorable Mention for their efforts. Congratulations, Mehereen and Olivia!

 

Preston F.  ('25) represented James Loy in the SARS Epidemic. As the director of the TSA, he made TSA a global organization based on disease control. He debated about how vaccines will be rolled out as quickly as possible, and disease prevention. Preston got a verbal commendation for his efforts. Great job, Preston!

 

Addy B. (‘24)  represented the Islamic Republic of Iran in the UNDP Committee, where the delegates debated the environmental, economic, and social impact of China's Belt and Road Initiative. The delegates focused specifically on the topic of economic inclusion as there were a multitude of developing nations present, passing the DRAKE and GIVES resolution which ensured that all countries were represented and provided funding equally. Additionally, Addy ensured that the importance of fossil fuels and oil exportation from Iran, Pakistan, and Sudan were fairly represented in the resolution paper ICE SPICE.

 

Alexa G. ('24) represented the Daily News Egypt in the Press Corps Committee. As a reporter, she wrote several articles about the crisis committee "Congress of Berlin." She reported on incidents ranging from a baguette scandal to delegate infighting, striving to reach impartiality in her writing. In committee, she also debated the ethics of government involvement and bias in journalism, taking care to properly represent the opinions of the Daily News Egypt. Great job, Alexa!

 

Andrea M. (‘25) represented Turkey in the UNHCR committee as a leading nation in advocating the safety for refugees, specifically from Afghanistan. Her position paper was the sole one to pass, highlighting all details from mental health to clean water. Great job Andrea!

 

Bo H. (‘24) represented President Rafaela Silva of Brazil. In the Encryption Eclipse JCC (governments) committee. The Committee took place during a hypothetical scenario where a group of hackers bypassed modern encryption and threatened governments and businesses.  Crisis updates included hacks, financial panics, and assassinations aimed at tech companies and government leaders. Bo’s arc began covert missions to sabotage people’s technology and to turn people against modern technology.

 

Chris M. (‘25) In his impactful representation of Liberia at the African Union committee, Chris not only brought innovative ideas to the table but also played a key role in crafting and successfully passing papers that recognized the 54 member states within the African Union. The paper, named S.E.R.V.E.D (Seeking Ethical Resolutions, Valuing Alternatives, Empowering Development), reflected a comprehensive approach to addressing crucial issues. Chris's contributions encompassed acknowledging Africa's linguistic diversity, emphasizing the economic dependence on Western countries, and advocating for the protection of indigenous and minority languages and cultures. The papers, underpinned by Chris's ideas, highlighted a 50% poverty rate in rural areas, high illiteracy rates, and proposed programs for economic empowerment and education. Furthermore, they addressed the historical association of African Union members with private military companies (PMCs), condemning associated violence and encouraging the exploration of alternative solutions. Chris's holistic approach underscored the importance of international cooperation, national sovereignty, and self-sustainability for the African continent's comprehensive development.

 

Harley B. (‘24) had the pleasure of competing in CMUNCE. He played the role of the Delegation of Turkey in which he passed many resolutions for the INTERPOL committee. He was able to be a sponsor and pass both the BAGELS and ACTS resolutions. He accomplished things such as raising awareness in cyber scams. Great Job, Harley!

 

H.L. represented Bolivia in the Pan American Health Organization Specialized General Assembly where she debated on topics such as rapid urbanization, the protection of indigenous groups, and equitable healthcare for all of Latin America. The committee worked together to come up with solutions to real-issue crisis updates that were incorporated into the flow of debate and she worked with other delegates to negotiate, vote on, and pass working papers and draft resolutions!

 

Kai (‘24) represented James J. Phillips in the College Football Committee. The committee worked to solve issues relating to NIL regulation, player safety, and conference realignment. The focus then shifted to debates over Chinese and Saudi involvement, hostage situations, and rampant corruption. Kai moved to create a super league and prioritize the education of players. He also created the successful new sport of American FootBasketball. This league recruited a top player and made an impact on the committee.