A Look into Model United Nations

by Emma Anderson

Niskayuna Model United Nations looks a bit different this year than in previous years, but with more members than we’ve had before, the club is up and running smoothly.

For those interested in problem-solving and international affairs, Model UN provides an abundance of opportunities to learn how to formally debate over foreign policy. Debates range from regulation of nuclear weapons and international refugee crises to pandemic policy and Trump’s board of directors. Every week, our Debate Coordinators Rohan Menon and Jesse Levine never fail to find an engaging topic to discuss.

For years, the club has attended the Ivy League Model United Nations Conference at the University of Pennsylvania. This is always a highlight, as the four day trip in January has always provided attendees with the opportunity to meet students from across the United States and work on committees such as the UN Environmental Programme, the European Union, or the Special Political and Decolonization Committee. It’s not all complex issues with long names, though, some debates include crisis simulations such as the Trojan war, where members act as members of the crisis rather than as countries writing resolutions. ILMUNC, for me personally, has been an extremely eye-opening experience, which has certainly given me a unique perspective on global issues that will stay with me for the years to come. Though there will be no in-person ILMUNC this year, there will be plenty of formal debate opportunities online.

Given the circumstances, Model UN has been meeting virtually for an hour every Monday. The transition to online debate has been nearly flawless, and new members have been joining every week. Instead of engaging in formal debate every week, we’ve decided to alternate each week between formal debate and less formal discussion of current events, jeopardy, and trivia games. This year of 2020 has been a divisive, exhausting, and thought-provoking year, and we hope you’ll join us to discuss events as they unfold each week.

If interested in joining the club, please do not hesitate to join our Google Classroom to learn more about it and find all meeting times. We encourage you to join a meeting even just to listen, as there is no mandatory participation, but as you get comfortable we hope you will choose to voice your opinions too.

MUN CLASSROOM CODE: ycwdnbj