New members of the Model United Nations team implemented skills they developed throughout the year at the annual rookie mock conference Nov. 6-7 and are preparing for the first conference of the year in January. 

Sophie Stern, a ninth grader who participated in the conference, said she feels that the remote environment contributed to the fast-paced nature of the conference. 

“The mock conference was very intense and engaging and things moved very quickly because of the online format,” Sophie said. 

Varun Shiriram, another ninth grader new to the Model United Nations team, had a rewarding overall experience at the mock conference and said that Model United Nations has helped him not only academically but socially as well. 

“I think MUN has helped me improve my speaking, thinking and leadership skills,” Varun said. “I am new to Lab, so it has helped me meet new people even though it was on Zoom.”

Junior Katie Baffa, a member of the Model United Nations executive board, explained that this conference gives new delegates a chance to practice their newly acquired skills before entering more advanced conferences.

“We do this because it gives the new delegates a chance to apply the Model UN skills that they were taught,” Katie said. “It also allows the executive Model UN board to get a sense of everyone’s capabilities.”

Members of the executive board were responsible for preparing new members for the competition, facilitating the Zoom event and taking notes on individual performances. 

Junior Saul Arnow, another member of the executive board, said the competition went well despite challenges imposed by the virtual environment. 

“We limited the conference to Lab students and just held one committee over Zoom,” Saul said. “We were really happy with the performance especially considering that we’re all adjusting to virtual conferences.”

While the mock conference has allowed new Model United Nations students to practice their skills in a remote environment, members will continue to improve their speaking skills in the coming months.

“The new delegates have definitely improved since the beginning of the year, but of course this is just the beginning for them,” Katie said. “There’s still plenty of progress that we hope to see them make.”