Secretary-General Richard Kang welcomed students to the Cornell campus for CMUNC X.
The Cornell Model United Nations Conference (CMUNC) welcomed over 600 students — plus a surprise guest in Oprah Winfrey — to its campus in Ithaca for its tenth anniversary. The conference notably prioritizes the educational experience with smaller committees, a training session that was well-received by delegates, and evaluation forms for every delegate written by the chairs so that they can get feedback on specific skills such as speaking and caucusing. The latter is rare on the East Coast and is reminiscent of the comments section found in scoresheets on the West Coast. Advisors have taken note and most of the ones I spoke with attended other conferences where competition wasn’t the primary focus of the conference. The conference made good use of its Cornell campus and Ithaca location with campus tours, a service project, professors serving as speakers, and the Saturday night social at the Museum of Earth. Check out the liveblog below!
Here’s the liveblog of CMUNC. As usual, we take photos of delegates who are actively leading their committee or involved with the debate.
Secretary-General Richard Kang welcomed students to the Cornell campus for CMUNC X.
Speaker JD Bergeron spoke about Kiva's role in microfinance
Oprah visited committees to observe her students from South Africa debate
Switzerland (Brunswick School) gathers a crowd in DISEC
New Zealand (JP Stevens) speaks during unmoderated caucus in DISEC
The United States (Horace Mann) leads a caucus bloc in DISEC
The United States (Horace Mann) and his allies explain their draft resolution in SOCHUM
Delegates participate in unmoderated caucus in SOCHUM. Rwanda (Watkins Glen High School) -- the delegate in red -- was particularly active.
A delegate is pleased to find allies receptive of her policies in SOCHUM
Nicaragua and China (both from The Hopkins School) discuss an idea together in SOCHUM
Delegates read off the operative clauses in their draft resolution in SPECPOL
Cornell International Affairs Society (CIAS) President Ankur Bajaj chairs UNESCO
Delegates representing Sudan (Albany High) and Saudi Arabia (New Fairfield High) are enjoying their time in UNESCO
Delegates in UNESCO
Chile (Loomis Chaffee School) makes a speech in UNESCO
Representatives in the Japanese Diet explain their draft resolution regarding Japan's energy strategy. The lead sponsor (Horace Mann) is speaking here.
A delegate (South Africa High Schools) speaks against the resolution and points out that it lacks concrete ideas on how to fund the proposed energy projects
A Japanese news agency reporter alerts the Japanese Diet about an earthquake and tsunami that has destroyed the last nuclear reactor in the country
A delegate (JP Stevens) asks the news report a question in the Japanese Diet
Another delegate asks the news reporter a question in the Japanese Diet
Oman (JP Stevens) negotiates with a crisis staffer as he attempts to manipulate the situation of Iran in the Arab League
The Arab League dais is enjoying CMUNC
Papua New Guinea (New Canaan) and the United Kingdom (Fayetteville-Manlius) present their draft resolution in the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting
Interpol (JP Stevens) speaks in the Counter Terrorism Implementation Task Force
The Federal Reserve dais
A delegate reads off his press release regarding the JP Morgan situation
A delegate explains his ideas to the chair in the Cambodian Civil War committee
Delegates speak with each other outside the committee room in the Cambodian Civil War committee
The dais of the FDR's First 100 Days committee including FDR himself (right)
A delegate speaks during moderated caucus in FDR's First 100 Days
A delegate speaks during moderated caucus in FDR's First 100 Days
A delegate speaks about the prospects of hosting the World Cup in Qatar in the FIFA committee
Looks like the Security Council dealt with the typical issues: the Middle East and North Korea
Russian Federation (JP Stevens) jots down ideas from the caucus bloc in the Security Council
The United States (Horace Mann) lobbies for support during unmoderated caucus in the Security Council
Delegates in the NGO Forum decide which committees they want to visit depending on the causes they want to support. Also, check out Anonymous' mask.
No one knew how Anonymous looked like. She even wore the mask during midnight crisis.
Awards:
Best Large Delegation: J.P. Stevens High School
Outstanding Large Delegation: New Canaan High School
Best Small Delegation: Horace Mann School
Outstanding Small Delegation: South Africa High Schools
Despite Cornell being a mid-sized conference with an educational focus — most of the advisors I spoke with attended other peer education-oriented conferences — there was nevertheless some hype surrounding the competition with the last two nationally undefeated teams in attendance. Alas, they competed in different delegation size categories, so it wasn’t a true matchup, but they still got the experience of participating in the same committee.
J.P. Stevens brought a big team and averaged more than one award per committee to capture the Best Large Delegation award. New Canaan, who had pulled off a top-10 finish at ILMUNC earlier this year, took home the Outstanding Large Delegation award. Horace Mann won the most gavels and almost had every delegate receive an award (or every delegate did if you included verbal commendations) and received the Best Small Delegation award. South Africa High Schools, which won a small delegation award here last year, continued its winning streak with an Outstanding Small Delegation. Blind Brook High School also contended for a large. delegation award.
Secretary-General Richard Kang and Director-General Meril Pothen have served on four Secretariats together starting from when they were both at Bergen County Academies. Congrats on running a successful CMUNC!
Congrats to all the staff and delegates for a successful conference!
