Model UN Travels Back in Time to 1776

St. Luke's Model United Nations team traveled back in time to 1776 to participate in an American revolution historical simulation. In the largest in-house tournament to date, over 70 students participated in a joint-crisis committee, representing American, British, and European historical figures. The simulation served as a team-building exercise as well as a way to prepare the team for upcoming tournaments. 

Model United Nations Club Presidents McLain Boege '24, Peter Cioffe '23, Andrew Parsons '23, and Ethan Xia '23 organized and facilitated the half-day tournament from the “back room.” Participants were separated into two committees, representing the American Revolutionaries and the British government. With student-led committees creating and disseminating updates throughout the simulation, both committees practiced real-time strategy development, responding in accordance with their historical objectives. 

George Foster '23, who assisted in facilitating the “back room,” shared, “I was so lucky to be a part of the back room for the in-house MUN because I got to see the events from a different perspective. I saw not only how participants interacted independently but also how they worked together to create solutions. The way they problem-solved issues was super creative, but it was their persistence that surprised me when they were trying to solve problems.”

Students new to Model UN also enjoyed the experience, which served as a way to prepare for upcoming tournaments. 

Sally Picon '24 shared, “The in-house tournament was a great way to ease yourself into Model UN. I had fun while being able to learn about procedures and different types of Model UN processes. Overall, it was a great experience.” Another new team member, Marley Price '25, reflected “The in-house tournament was an exciting and fun way to increase my confidence. It was a perfect way to see what other tournaments will be like, and I'm super happy that I was able to contribute. Participating in the simulation further sparked my interest and excitement about upcoming conferences.”

At the end of the tournament, club presidents recognized students in both committees with Outstanding Delegate and Best Rookie Delegate awards:

American Revolutionaries
Best Delegate: Samantha Gerber '28
Outstanding Rookie: May Frelinghuysen '25

British Government
Best Delegate: Reese Kubick '25
Outstanding Rookie: Olivia Tate '26

The Model UN team looks forward to its next tournament, this time off-campus, at NYU on Thursday, Nov. 17.