Over the course of four days in New Haven, Connecticut, students represented the school at the 50th Yale Model United Nations (YMUN).
This year, YMUN brought together more than 2,000 delegates to simulate the United Nations. Participating teams included delegations selected through national application processes from countries like Kyrgyzstan, dedicated regional Model UN club teams—such as those from various regions in Brazil—and schools from across the world, including other New England boarding schools such as Deerfield and Lawrenceville.
Hotchkiss won Best Large Delegation for the first time in more than ten years. Nine students were recognized with awards.
Peter Berlizov ’24, Maadhavan Prasanna ’25, and Shaye Lee ’26 earned Best Delegate, the highest title awarded at the conference.
Max Salzinger ’25 and Julian Zhang ’26 came away with Outstanding Delegate awards, which recognize second place performances within their committees.
Meilan Antonucci ’24, Parth Jain ’24, Isaiah Stephens ’25, and Ethan Choi ’26 received Honorable Delegate titles, recognizing third-place finishes. In addition, Berlizov was admitted to the conference’s Global Exchange Program, which provides students with an opportunity to take classes with Yale professors.
When asked about his team’s success, which was unmatched by any other school attending YMUN this year, Speech and Debate Head Coach David Conti said, “It’s not magic. The result comes because people work hard. If you consistently show up and put in your best effort, you’ll win.” Mr. Conti added that he hopes the recent win will encourage new students to come to practice and contribute to the team’s performance long-term.
Bearcats served on committees representing eight countries, two indigenous groups, and one individual—Vanessa Guerra ’25 represented fictional British socialist artist Sir Pericles Archibald on a committee focusing on the 1984 American intervention in Nicaragua.
Participant Isabella Deng ’27 appreciated the diversity of delegates that came to New Haven. She said, “We were able to learn about the cultural differences we had while still sharing our interest in public speaking.”
Hotchkiss students received placements on high-profile committees—within which delegates work together to accomplish a defined goal or simulate an existing international institution—such as the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the European Union (EU). Delegates also participated in committees such as the Sub-Committee on Experts on Transport of Dangerous Goods and on the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (UNSCETDG) and the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (PFII).
After a selective application process led by the debate team, students began researching their assigned topics and countries’ stances in preparation for the conference.
During the conference, delegates were invited to sit in on lectures led by some of Yale’s most distinguished faculty, participate in workshops led by Yale students, tour the Yale Undergraduate Art Gallery, and attend a speech by former Secretary-General of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon.
Lectures also included Yale professors Victoria Hallinan’s “Moiseyev Dance Company: A Cold War Cultural Weapon for an American Audience,” Helen Siu’s “China-Africa Encounters: Navigating Across Inter-Asian Waters,” and keynote speaker Thomas Graham’s, a fellow at the Council of Foreign Relations, “The Past and Future of International Relations.”
