Sacred Heart Greenwich’s Model United Nations (UN) team traveled to Princeton University to participate in the Princeton Model United Nations Conference (PMUNC) November 14 to 17.  The conference aims to provide students with knowledge, empowering them to contribute meaningfully to today’s society, according to princetonirc.org. 

Comprised of undergraduate students at Princeton University, the Secretariat, otherwise known as the Princeton International Relations Council, has been working alongside PMUNC since its inception in 2010.  The main endeavor of the Princeton University Secretariat is overseeing the conference and carrying out substantive and administrative duties, according to princetonirc.org.

At this year’s PMUNC, over 1,000 students were in attendance from more than 21 countries.  Model UN conferences supply students with the values of diplomacy, negotiation, and the principles of public speaking.  The conferences consist of teachers and students developing a better grasp of the world’s critical affairs, according to bestdelegate.com. 

Freshmen Kenza Aissaoui, Nouha Aissaoui, Annie Cornell, Claudia El-Masry, sophomores Leah Allen, Rachel Lherisson, Kayla Malcolm-Joseph, Megan Maloney, Claire Miller, Claire Moore, Diana McIntire, Fiona Powers, Elisa Taylor, Angélique Wheeler, and juniors Karina Adams, Alexia Barr, Alana Fredrick, Yvetslana Lafontant, Olivia Lockwood, Sasha Rivera, Ellie Skinner, Ursula Vollmer, Morgan Wilkens, were in attendance from Sacred Heart. For over 25 years students from Sacred Heart have attended UN conferences.

The teachers who supervised the trip were Mrs. Marcie McDonald, Dean of College Guidance and Academic Dean, and Ms. Lindsay Thompson, Physical Education Teacher.

Mrs. Jillian Bozzi, Upper School History Teacher and Model UN Club Administrator, believes that Model UN helps students build essential life skills.

“Model UN instills remarkable values in students such as leadership, critical and analytical thinking, reasoning, and teamwork,” Mrs. Bozzi said.  “It is a perfect opportunity for our students to live out many of Sacred Heart’s goals.” 

Mrs. Bozzi also emphasizes that the students not only gain a further understanding of far-reaching social issues during their time at Princeton, but also learn the principles of public speaking.

“Conceptualization skills, teamwork, leadership, social awareness, and insight are just a few values that a participant in Model UN are able to take with them from their experiences,” Mrs. Bozzi said.

At PMUNC, the students from Sacred Heart found possible solutions for real, ongoing crises plaguing countries.  The delegates, who are students acting as global representatives, wrote position papers before the conference took place.  These then became resolution papers to help solve the issues discussed.  Finally, they wrote their resolution papers and met with fellow representatives to develop possible solutions.

Mrs. Bozzi thinks that the resolutions the committee members negotiated were the most well-received activity at the convention.

“While in session, they deliberate with other delegates representing different countries to come up with resolutions on the issue they are tasked to address,” Mrs. Bozzi said.  “Delegates then work on proposals to solve the issue at hand, developing solutions to propose as a whole.”

Junior Olivia Lockwood, one of the Model UN Club heads, became interested in joining the club to learn more about problems countries are currently facing and to explore possible solutions.

“Model UN has taught me so much about global issues and numerous injustices going on in our world that often go unspoken,” Olivia said.  “Even when tackling issues that only affect a certain area, all countries come together and show how important it is to resolve these issues in the fairest way possible.”

The conference allowed for students from around the world to come together and solve international crises.

“To see the power, courage, and the speaking skills of people my own age from all over demonstrates such high hopes for the future of government and international relations as a whole,” Olivia said.

Featured Image by Natalie Dosmond ’21