Students attend opening ceremony at Yale Model United Nations.
By Jolie Zhang ’26
Nine Choate students became United Nations (UN) delegates for a weekend at the 50th annual Yale Model United Nations (YMUN) conference. From January 18 to 21, more than 2000 students from all around the world, representing 45 countries and over half of the 50 states, gathered at Yale University for a weekend of discourse that simulated real UN deliberations.
Organizers provided attendees with a structured schedule that included mealtimes, committee sessions, and various educational and social activities. The heart of the conference lay in the committee sessions, where students split up into groups to discuss topics ranging from international crises to the economy and social policy. In these meetings, they engaged in speeches, debates, negotiations, and resolution writing geared towards addressing and solving the challenges that fell under their committee’s scope. Students then presented their perspectives based on their assigned country in accordance to the systems and policies of that country.
“I was representing Switzerland in the Committee for Cultural, Economic, and Social Rights. I helped create a resolution on the topic of AI and human rights, focusing on algorithmic bias and AI privacy issues,” Cindy Tian ’27 said. “The challenges were talking to other delegates and seeing if you are on the same page … it required a lot of communication.”
Additionally, students had the chance to experience the vibrant atmosphere of Yale’s campus, such as by attending Yale faculty lectures, joining campus tours, visiting art galleries, participating in workshops with Yale student groups, and dressing up for the Delegate Dance, where students spent the evening dancing and socializing with other delegates.
These activities added a social and recreational dimension to the YMUN experience. “I had a great time and had the chance to meet some really interesting people,” participant Alia Rasheed ’25 said.
The 50th annual YMUN conference provided an opportunity for students to not only engage in the educational aspects of MUN, but also to forge meaningful connections with students from all over the world. Humanities teacher and the MUN club adviser Ms. Cindy Okrah, who was present at the conference, said, “It is a great opportunity to be able to meet people you ordinarily wouldn’t and to bond over this shared interest.”
