Bridgewater-Raritan High School served as the host to the sixth annual Model United Nations conference (MUNC) organized by Bridgewater-Rartian Model United Nations on January 13.

Students from across New Jersey and Pennsylvania attended the conference to experience a realistic simulation of the United Nations and display their public speaking and leadership skills.

Delegates were assigned to one of the six committees offered by BR Model UN: UNICEF, SOCHUM, DISEC, SPECPOL, UNHCR and Crisis – Marvel. After choosing the agenda to discuss, delegates began to debate possible resolutions, presented their country’s stances and worked with each other to formulate a detailed resolution paper that would resolve the issue.

BRMUNC served as an opportunity for delegates, new and old, to represent countries from across the globe on some of the most pressing issues seen today. The experience molded them into bright leaders who were aware of current affairs and their role in decision-making. 

Each of the committees was led by a chair and a secondary co-chair. The chairs collaborated to prepare their committees, wrote the background guide to help delegates research and regulated the committee session to make it fun and fair for all participants.

UNICEF was chaired by senior Alyssa Xu, SOCHUM by junior Harsha Ahmed, DISEC by senior Abhijay Edavalpati, SPECPOL by senior Hardhik Atchakala, UNHCR by junior Riya Shenvi and Crisis – Marvel by senior Pranav Karra. 

DISEC co-chair Lily Xu reflected on her experience as a chair.

“Chairing isn’t simply overseeing a committee; it’s encouraging a new generation of bright, talented students to grow and work towards a common goal together. I’m honored to have gained such an insightful experience,” Xu said. 

Delegates too had an amazing experience at the conference and felt that it was the right mix of competition and fun. Mayra Rajput from J.P. Stevens High School, who won Outstanding Delegate in SOCHUM for her representation of India, noted the balanced nature of the conference.

“In conferences typically everyone fights for survival, but at BRMUNC everyone bonded really well, had fun, and enjoyed each other’s company,” Rajput said. 

As the conference ended, the club came to the unanimous decision to donate all conference proceeds to UNICEF to help fund educational programs for children. As the fresh year dawns upon the club, the members look forward to attending Yale MUN 50 and NHSMUN 50, two of the largest conferences in the country who are sharing their 50th anniversary this year.