The Inaugural World of Winsor Model UN

On Sunday, May 16, 2021, the Winsor Model U.N. club held the first ever World of Winsor Model U.N. (WOW MUN) conference on campus. Students are hoping it will be the start of a new tradition.

The event was the only in-person Model U.N. conference offered during the 2020-2021 school year, so it was a special moment for executive committee members Lillian Gibson ’21, Anne Joseph ’21, Abby Nickerson ’21, and Mishael Quraishi ’21, who led the opening and closing ceremonies. To commemorate the inaugural event, the club ordered special WOW MUN bucket hats that they wore throughout the conference, creating an unmistakeable sea of green.

The conference consisted of three different sessions. During the first session, students debated topics and worked with other delegates to form “blocs,” or groups of countries with similar ideas. Some unexpected alliances formed—for example, the delegation from the USA partnered with delegations from Russia, China, and Brazil to create a resolution centered on cyber security. During the second session, delegates drafted resolutions on their topics. And during the final session, the blocs presented their resolutions and answered questions ahead of the committee vote.

The delegates were able to debate on topics ranging from the power of the U.N. over countries’ sovereignty to the importance of global cooperation in sharing security data. Committees were made up of 14 delegates each with three seniors running each committee.

The Special Political and Decolonization Committee (SPECPOL) focused on the “Commercialization and Colonization of Space.” They brought two resolutions to the floor and both passed. The senior dias, or leadership, was made up of Annie Adams ’21, Karen Li ’21, and Ellie Wang ’21.

The Disarmament and International Security Committee (DISEC) focused on “Cyber Security.” They brought two resolutions to the floor and one passed. The senior dias was made up of Ashley Browne ’21, Jane Hwang ’21, and Hawa Yusuf ’21.

Following the conference, the students presented faculty advisors Ann-Marie Holland and Jean Berg with “Best Advisor” gavels to thank them for their dedication and hard work throughout the year, and for running the conference. Each senior was also presented with a gavel to commemorate their time as members of the Model UN club, and to thank them for their incredible leadership and contributions during the inaugural WOW MUN conference. The committees wrapped the unusual season with some FUN MUN, including voting on superlatives, playing Spikeball on the fields, and enjoying some karaoke.

Already looking ahead to the 2021-2022 academic year, students are hoping to host the WOW MUN conference again in the fall as a training ground ahead of formal conferences throughout the season.
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