Belmont Hill Model UN Delegates Excel at PEAMUN and BUSUN Conferences

By Juliette Zener

In early November, members of Belmont Hill's Model UN/ Global Affairs traveled to New Hampshire and Rhode Island for the year's first two conferences.  

At Phillips Exeter Academy (PEAMUN), our delegation of eight included students from Forms II through V, MUN veterans as well as rookies.  Students engaged in committees ranging from historic to fantastic to current. Will Achtmeyer (Turkish Invasion) and Duncan Beirne (Japan War) sunk their teeth into historical conflicts, Matthew Williams represented the People's Republic of China on a Black Panther committee, and Ethan Ho, Ryan Ho, Max Bushey, Pierce Courtney, and Sam Leviton deliberated issues ranging from international criminal justice to clean water access to AI regulations on the General Assembly committees. Delegates observed the conference was well-organized and committees managed well by their chairs. We departed campus tired after the day, but excited by the day's deliberations. Congratulations to Ethan Ho and Duncan Beirne for being recognized as Outstanding Delegate on their respective committees.

For nearly a decade, Belmont Hill has sent a delegation to Providence, for the Brown University Simulated UN (BUSUN). This year nine boys headed to College Hill for this 2 1/2 day conference. Five students were assigned to Specialized or Crisis Committees with topics ranging from Cold War Outer Space governance (Sammy Flood) to the Italian Risorgimento (James Keefe) to Top 30 College deliberations over free speech and equity (Alex Laidlaw) to SpongeBob (yes, Eli Norden was Larry the Lobster). Four General Assembly delegates represented the Caribbean country of Belize on issues ranging from AI (Ryan Ho), to autonomous weapons (Dininar Alpers), to accessible drug pricing (Ethan Ho), offshore tax evasion (Matthew Williams). Chase Teeson represented Jordan on a GA Arab League committee. In the end, wars were both averted and fought, nukes set off, rulers murdered, and campuses stormed. Fun, yes -- realistic, not so much. Nevertheless, all agreed that they had learned a lot from the experience and enjoyed the chance to meet delegates from around the world and to experience Brown's campus from the inside out.  

Thank you to Mr. Schneider, Mr. Bradley, and Mr. Sullivan for your support of Belmont Hill's Model UN program. And thank you to Mr. Bracken '15, whose initiative led to a relaunch of Model UN back when he was in Form IV!