From February 6-8, nineteen Milton Academy students attended the Boston Model United Nations conference (BosMUN) for a weekend of diplomacy, debate, and collaboration with other student delegates from the New England area. Held at Boston University’s campus, the conference allowed students to immerse themselves in a fast-paced simulation of international relations. Milton’s MUN team performed strongly, bringing three awards home to Milton: Amelia Joseph ‘28 and Panshul Purusharthy ‘27 earned Diplomatic Commendation for representing New Zealand on the Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee; Eve Kong ‘28 received an Honorable Mention for representing Sri Lanka on the Commission of the Status of Women; and Sophie Gvenetadze ‘28 was named an Outstanding Delegate for representing Samuel Bellamy on “A Pirate's Life for Me! Writing the Pirate Code, 1660.”
Established in 2000, the conference is organized by undergraduate students from colleges in Greater Boston, many of whom are former MUN participants. This year’s conference welcomed over 100 schools and gathered over 2,300 delegates.
Model UN conferences are structured simulations of UN committees, and student delegates represent assigned countries or political figures. Once assigned their topic, delegates research their assigned committees using BosMUN’s website and background guides. These issues can range from humanitarian crises to economic development and international security. Delegates study their country’s or role’s political position, allies, and influence, as well as the broader context of their committee’s topic. This research helps students enter committee sessions prepared with a strong understanding of their objectives and the diplomatic strategies needed to achieve them.
According to Milton Model UN Secretary General Jace LiVigni ‘27, the structure of committee sessions is designed to mirror real-world diplomatic processes. Sessions typically begin with formal opening speeches that outline the positions of each country on their topic. These speeches frame the debate and help to establish alliances and areas for disagreement. Following the speeches, committees move into moderated discussions and informal negotiations in which delegates collaborate to draft resolutions and propose solutions for issues. These resolutions are presented, amended, and ultimately voted on by the committee.
Cassia Kopfer ‘27 explained that preparation is essential for effective participation: “we are assigned a role—country, person in history, or state. We work in a committee to solve a specific issue.” Kopfer also noted that delegates who win awards often stand out for their strong public speaking, collaboration, and persuasion skills.
For several Milton students, BosMUN provided an opportunity to put some of their preparation into practice. LiVigni said it felt “very gratifying to apply the preparation to the various challenging situations and scenarios that [he] experienced.” Despite the scale of the conference, Milton students found the experience to be both well-organized and welcoming. LiVigni thought the conference was well-run, recalling that “overall the conference ran really smoothly, and the [committee] chairs there were really experienced.”
Beyond awards, students emphasized the value of forming connections with peers from other schools as some of the most rewarding aspects of the conference. Kopfer appreciated the range of individuals attending the conference, thrilled to “both see friends I already knew who attended and meet people from other nearby schools.” Eileen Chi ‘29 thought that BosMUN was “a great way to meet people because there is no one in your committee that comes from your school.” She explained that no delegate can avoid connection when, “in order to form resolutions, you must work with others.”