BosMUN emphasized its smaller committees
The Boston Invitational Model United Nations (BosMUN) may be doing a lot of things right in the eyes of educators. The conference emphasized its quality experience and evidence can be found in multiple ways. First, instead of focusing on the overall size of the conference, the Secretary-General boasted about the size caps on large committees and the offering of many smaller committees so that delegates can have more opportunities to participate. Also these smaller committees were regional organizations and less popular UN committees instead of the non-UN crisis committees that some research-oriented educators loathe. BosMUN also had a novice committee (similar to ILMUNC) which allowed the newest delegates a chance to participate in a large MUN conference without being overwhelmed.
Advisors praised the quality of the BosMUN background guides; I rarely hear advisors mention this at other conferences. Most of the schools are around a similar experience level (attending about two conferences a year) which makes the playing field more even and less competitive than other winter conferences. On a related note, this may be a reason why I had the largest turnout for my faculty advisors workshop out of all the conferences I have delivered it at so far. Advisors were treated well with a reception on the first night and breakfast on the following two mornings.
The keynote speaker was younger and could relate his experience and story to the high school crowd instead of lecturing over them on complex foreign policy. Closing ceremonies was straight to the point without too many speeches. BosMUN also gave recognition to their seniors and to the best committee dais under each Undersecretary-General. Finally, delegates got to experience their committees and two socials in the Park Plaza Hotel which is the same grand setting as the Harvard National MUN Conference (the college championship).
Check out our liveblog of the conference below! Make sure to also check out the BosMUN Press Corps and the BosMUN Twitter account for more coverage of the conference!
Our liveblog features delegates in action — we tend to catch delegates who were active in leading their committees:
Secretary-General Dan Freehling welcomes 1,200 delegates to BosMUN.
Keynote speaker Jon Shaffer from Partners in Health encouraged students to get involved in social justice
The awesome DISEC dais
Delegates debate the issue of drones in DISEC
Delegates in the UN Peace Building Commission listen to a speech
Chile defends her ideas in the UN Peace Building Commission
Denmark lobbies other delegates to support her ideas in the UN Peace Building Commission
Norway explains his solutions to another delegate in the UN Peace Building Commission
Sponsors for a draft resolution explain their ideas in the UN Peace Building Commission
France speaks with another delegate during unmoderated caucus in the UN Commission for Social Development
Delegates are engaged during unmoderated caucus in the UN Commission for Social Development
Delegates debate an idea in the UN Commission for Social Development
Delegates listen in as Liberia (bottom left; back to camera) pitches her ideas in the UN Commission for Social Development
Delegates make sure to get all their resolution down onto paper in the UN Commission for Social Development
Vice Chair Gabriella Gricius and Chair Olivia Manning preside over SOCHUM
Nigeria makes a speech in SOCHUM
Austria makes a speech in SOCHUM
Belgium speaks in SOCHUM
Poland speaks during moderated caucus in the CCPCJ
Delegates vote in the CCPCJ
Venezuela speaks during moderated caucus in the Commission on the Status of Women
Italy tries to convince the Commission on the Status of Women to find other solutions since governments have not been supportive worldwide
Afghanistan makes a comment during moderated caucus in the SAARC
France makes a speech in the CESCR
Germany speaks in the CESCR
Spain makes his speech in the CESCR
The Russian Federation leads a caucus bloc in the CESCR
Ireland writes down her bloc's ideas in the UNECE
Two delegates strategize on their solutions during unmoderated caucus in the UNECE
A delegate answers questions on his group's draft resolution in the novice UNDP committee
Delegates speak with each other in the Allied Occupation of Japan 1945
UN Security Council chair Stephanie Cedeño and vice chair Cassidy Bissell listen closely to their delegates' speeches
The Russian Federation addresses the UN Security Council
The United Kingdom delivers his arguments in the UN Security Council
Chair Samantha Weinberg presides at Lyndon B. Johnson in the LBJ Tuesday Luncheon Group 1968
Crisis staffers brief the LBJ Tuesday Luncheon Group 1968 on election projections
A cabinet member speaks in the LBJ Tuesday Luncheon Group 1968
Delegates were very into character -- and very animated -- in the LBJ Luncheon Group 1968
Cabinet members write notes to each other in the LBJ Tuesday Luncheon Group 1968
A delegate negotiates the new government structure in the JCC
Delegates in the NGO Forum contemplate which committee to influence next
Delegates share the successes in different committees with each other in the NGO Forum
The Press Corps gets to know one another before they go out for assignment. Check out their work at bosmunpresscorps.wordpress.com!
The school delegation awards went to:
- Best Large Delegation: Cape Coral High School
- Outstanding Large Delegation: Phillips Academy Andover
- Best Small Delegation: Phillips Exeter Academy
- Outstanding Small Delegation: Boston University Academy
Cape Coral won Best Large Delegation at BosMUN
Congrats to the entire BosMUN staff and to all the delegates on a successful weekend. And thank you so much for making me an Honorary Secretariat member!
Congrats to the BosMUN staff and thank you for having me!
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Editor’s Commentary: Most of the major conferences in the peak of the season (January-March) are large and competitive. BosMUN came as a refreshing surprise because it reminded me more of the education-focused conferences for newer schools. I would categorize the BosMUN experience to be similar to McGill SSUNS or UNA-USA’s GCIMUN.
