Harvard Model UN Trip

March 21, 2024

By Tallulah Bates ’25

The Harvard Model United Nations (HMUN) is among the oldest, largest, and one of the most international conferences of its kind, with student participation from over 60 countries at the most recent iteration. The size and international nature of the conference made it an opportunity for learning that extended beyond the committee sessions themselves. Delegates learned and collaborated with our peers, under the inspiring leadership of the Harvard undergraduates who devoted a year of research and passion to the crafting of background guides, committees, and other programming. In late January, a gaggle of eight Cate students were lucky enough to participate in the HMUN experience.

Our five-day expedition began on Wednesday afternoon. Having just returned from another conference in NYC just a week prior, our faculty advisor Juarez Newsome warned us to get “ready for the East Coast cold!” After a couple of overnight flights, we arrived bright-eyed at Boston Logan Airport on Thursday morning. The quintessential views of grey skies, barren trees, and the icy Charles River shone proudly behind the taxi windows as we made our way to our accommodation.

The first commitment did not begin until five that evening, and many of Cate’s delegates spent Thursday exploring the excitement of Back Bay. The cobblestoned sidewalks were crowded with locals and tourists alike and each shopfront bustled with happy activity. Some of my peers bravely ventured across the Charles to peek and poke around MIT’s Cambridge campus before returning to the hotel in the afternoon. I was incredibly fortunate to meet my sister, Tilly ’18, at the familiar Thinking Cup Cafe on Newbury Street, a place of many childhood memories.

Following the Opening Ceremonies, thousands of students dispersed into hundreds of committees, ranging from the reenactment of famous historical crises to discussing and proposing solutions to real-world problems such as climate change and world hunger. While each of the sessions was long and intense, they never wanted for youthful energy and impressive company from across the globe. It was firstly intimidating, and then invigorating to find oneself surrounded by such interesting peers!