debating in the capital of the world

By Ernests Mikuts

New York. That is a trip I’ll never forget. The bright flashy colors, the huge park, the debates we had, and most importantly the skyscrapers. New York is indeed a fascinating city. We had the opportunity to go there to participate in a model United Nations conference.

Model United Nations (MUN) is an educational simulation of the United Nations, where students from around the world get to represent countries, debating and proposing solutions to some of the world’s most pressing issues. During the conference, the delegates from Heritage debated on a range of topics, including improvised explosive devices, self-determination, and drug-resistance in multiple committees such as the Disarmament and International Security committee (1st committee), Legal committee (6th committee) and the World Health Organization. We had to research our assigned countries’ stance on the topics and negotiate with other delegates from all over the world to try and come up with a resolution on each topic. We gained valuable knowledge and experience, and a passion for solving world issues.

The debates were an awesome experience and the city was even better. We visited many landmarks in New York, beginning with the Statue of Liberty and ending with central park on the last day. Personally, I liked central park the most, because it was completely different from what I expected it to be. I was expecting a ‘forest’, but received a huge, very well maintained park with many different sections to explore, including a ‘foresty’ one.

I also liked the One World Observatory very much. The fact that we were able to ride to the top of the World Trade Center (in less than a minute, might I add), the highest building in the US, and see New York below our feet felt amazing.

Of course, we couldn’t leave New York without going to the UN headquarters. The meeting rooms actually looked better in real life, than in pictures. There were more meeting rooms than I didn’t know before, like the trusteeship council room. We were able to sit in each room and take as many pictures as our hearts wished. The only problem — the gift store was trying to rip us off.

Overall, the trip was a great success. We gained new knowledge, experience and skills during the debates, while experiencing the beautiful wonders of New York City. It was an unforgettable experience.

Can’t wait to return another time.