On April 23, nine Canterbury delegates went to Kent School to participate in the Kent School Model United Nations (KSMUN) conference. The conference included 36 delegates from Canterbury, Kent, and the Gunnery. The delegates participated in either the Second Continental Congress based on the historic event, the European Commission on Migration, or the Magical Congress of the United States of America (MACUSA), based on the Harry Potter universe.
The delegates from Canterbury included Steven Luo (Continental Congress), Misha Verozub (EU), Gregory McKenna (EU), Giorgo Caripidis Soto (Magical Congress), Zhiheng Deng (Continental Congress), Joyce Gao (Magical Congress), Christine Pang (Magical Congress), Sabrina Capodicci (Magical Congress), and Jane Wu (Continental Congress). Gregory McKenna and Sabrina Capodicci received awards for Best Position Paper, and Jane Wu and Giorgo Caripidis Soto received awards for Most Improved.
“It was our first time, so at first it was a little bit tough for us. But we learned a lot and it is actually a lot of fun. I hope I can have the chance to go again,” says Christine Pang about her first Model U.N. conference.
Before a Model U.N. conference, each delegate has to prepare in advance. Delegates combine research and the opinions of the entity they represent into an essay-length position paper. Then, at the conference, delegates first attend a brief opening ceremony that introduces each committee and then move into separate rooms for each committee to begin debate.
In the Second Continental Congress, delegates represented historical figures such as Alexander Hamilton. Jane Wu, who attended this committee, explained that delegates planned a new government, debated how to get France involved in the Revolutionary War, founded a national bank, and much more. However, despite their best efforts, the simulation ended in a British victory.
“Attending the Model U.N. conference is a great opportunity to practice one’s public speaking skill and debate skill. It is not only a personal challenge but also includes teamwork. We have learned how to convince others, to compromise and to work out a solution together,” added Jane Wu.
As a part of the European Commission on Migration, delegates represented a member state of the European Union (EU) and worked to resolve refugee issues stemming from the conflict in the Middle East. According to the KSMUN EU Immigration Background Guide, they strove for cooperation “to strengthen the EU’s borders, negotiate the relocation of refugees and promote the safety and security of the EU and its member states, while also reducing the motivation to migrate from North Africa.”
Delegates acted as various wizarding authority figures at the Magical Congress of the United States of America: the setting was the U.S. immediately following Newt Scamander’s antics in 1926 New York as portrayed in the movie Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
After a fun day debating the future of magical creatures, raising a resistance against dark wizards, squirrelling out traitors, and having various escapades involving truth serum, Howlers, and poisoned pastries, the dark wizard Grindelwald and his army unfortunately ended the simulation by taking down the Congress and making an example of its members.
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