The Hill Model UN club took two recent trips to major competitions at both Columbia University and Cornell University. In January, members of Hill’s Model UN club traveled to Columbia University for CMUNCE XXIII, a Model UN conference. Likewise, the club travelled again to Cornell over the weekend of April 11. Leading the both trips was Kevin Tkachuk, McNally Chair of History and Social Sciences Department, who has been the faculty adviser for Model UN for the last seven years.
A four-day conference, held from January 16-19, students prepared several weeks in advance, building their case and preparing position papers. Sahith Mangu ’28, one of few 3rd formers chosen for this trip explained, “The team is filled with dedicated and passionate people. We all really do our best to prepare because we’re passionate about what we do.”
Each year, the Columbia Model UN conference attracts around 750 delegates from around the world, accounting for the large crowd of delegates students saw when they first entered the conference room. This Model UN conference is “one of the largest and most prestigious Model UN conferences” Tkachuk stated.
During the competition, students took on the role of delegates to debate global issues and draft resolutions. For example, Mangu competed in one of the Crisis Committees and was asked to take on the role of General James Hartley, the United States General. In this role, he was tasked with figuring out how Artificial Generalized Intelligence can be used in the military and in healthcare.
Between sessions, the students explored New York City, relaxed in the hotel, enjoyed meals with the team, and spent time with their competitors. “I really bonded with my team,” Mangu said. Mangu also noted the comradery between students from across the nation, remarking that even though they would share meals together, “at the end of the day we were competing against each other, but we also really bonded with one another.”
Srinidhi Pasumarthy ’26, Model UN President, also celebrated the community building during the competition. “We had such a unique group from 6th formers to 3rd formers who made new friends not just within our Hill community, but also in a broader sense with so many different people attending the conference,“ Pasumarthy said.
After four days of competition, the students returned to campus, where they look to begin preparation for CMUNCXXIII at Cornell University. Students responded positively to both events.
“It was a really cool experience to spend a weekend with so many people from so many different backgrounds in an academic environment,” Pasumarthy said. “Especially since we live in a time where diplomacy is so important, it’s nice to know that so many young kids are passionate about it.”