This recap was submitted by Matthew Yarbrough, College Conference Director of the University of Georgia Model United Nations team and Chair of the United Nations Security Council Special Session at UGAMUNC XX.
Delegates gather for UGAMUNC XX Opening Ceremonies.
To say this year was the biggest and greatest of the University of Georgia’s annual High School Model United Nations Conference would certainly be an understatement. With more than twenty high schools spanning across the South Eastern portion of the country traveling to compete in ten different committees, debate was both competitive and impressive. In an expansion of the normal committees put forth by the university, this 20th edition of the UGA conference came with its first joint crisis committee (JCC), which took the form of the two campaign teams of the 2008 Presidential Election. The conference also exhibited a fictional Harry Potter Committee alongside a historical crisis committee over the Rwandan Genocide.
George Weasley speaks in the Dumbledore’s Army crisis.
A delegate raises her placard in the UNSC.
With such a diverse range of committees, the delegates debated issues encompassing drone strikes in Pakistan to the structure of Dumbledore’s Army. Outside of committees, delegates received a unique social and learning experience. A large delegate social in the University’s main building allowed the students to celebrate many of their long hours of debate, and a unique lecture from esteemed UGA International Relations Professor and Keynote speaker Dr. Jeffrey Berejikian left the students with a great deal to think upon as they left Athens.
Keynote speaker Dr. Jeffrey Berejikian addresses the delegates in a lecture.
In the end, competition was fierce, with extreme difficulties in identifying best delegations. Despite this, the McCallie School representing North Korea seized the Best Large Delegation Award, and North Cobb High School representing South Korea claimed the Best Small Delegation Award. The University of Georgia staff was immeasurably pleased with the success that conference obtained this year and looks ahead in planning for the 21st Annual UGA Model United Nations Conference (UGAMUNC) next spring!
