From debating about “Star Wars” and who kidnapped General Palpatine to Agent 67 and monster DNA mutation from an oil spill, the third annual Hudson Model United Nations (HUDMUN) was a memorable one from using hypothetical situations to teach negotiating skills.
“I enjoyed watching the turn of events and how creative people got with their own crisis arcs while still trying to play the United Nations Security Council game,” junior under secretary general Arina Petrushina said.
Delegates ranged from sophomores to seniors, but one thing was certain, and was a new experience for many. HUDMUN is hosted as a novice conference for students to not only understand how MUN works, but also have the chance to show off their abilities and get a potential spot on the travel team.
The opening ceremony introduced the committee chairs and the conference then commenced with Petrushina asking “we are looking for a certain motion to start the day off?” And junior Ariana Khaykhin responded, “motion to open debate.”
After an opening ceremony, delegates met with their committees. Those included the U.S. Senate, Disarmament and International Security (DISEC), United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and Ad Hoc. The day was split up into three two-hour committee sessions. .
A range of topics were discussed in each group. In the mock U.S. Senate students attempted to solve senators from around the U.S. were attempting to solve issues within immigration.
This was a first for many and the staff of the conference got to watch as the novices grew interest and passion for what they enjoy doing.
“My favorite part of HUDMUN was the energy delegates brought to debate. Alongside of course, doing it with my best friends,” senior US Senate chair Angeliah Pierre said. “It was so fun to see real world topics be debated with such respect, especially in a polarized world. Being a chair, I really enjoyed leading the committee, shaping discussion and watching ideas turn into real solutions,.”
This is the third time the MUN program hosted this event, though it originally began three years ago as a student-led initiative with the hope of fostering collaboration, leadership, diplomacy and learning. HUDMUN is formally named in honor of the Model UN adviser and AP US. History teacher Mr. Mark Gruskin, who dedicates much of his time, mentorship and constant support to shape the team to be what it is today. His pet dog, Hudson, also became part of the name and is an unofficial mascot for them to symbolize the community Mr. Gruskin has created within its members.
During the closing ceremony, awards were announced and the plenary speakers, who the chairs thought would sum up the committee well, gave speeches. In MUN, awards are given to each committee in the order as follows: best, outstanding, honorable, verbal and plenary speaker.
“The unmods were the most fun part in the US Senate committee where I got to talk to people, collaborate and share different ideas that we research,” sophomore Eva Engle said.
Below are the award winners from HUDMUN:
U.S. Senate
Best – sophomore Eva Engle
Outstanding – junior Alan Joseph
Honorable – junior Eva Higueras
Verbal – sophomore Oliver Lecompte
Plenary – sophomore Lukas Cordoba
DISEC
Best – sophomore Anthony Fateev
Outstanding – sophomore Inika Chemuru
Honorable – Neel Ganeriwala
Verbal – Joel Cardenas
Verbal – Ayan Anand
Plenary – Aziz Asadov
UNSC
Best – junior Frank Toma
Outstanding – junior Juju Yammine
Honorable – junior Gabriella Bianco
Plenary – junior Sofia Barrera
Ad Hoc
Best – sophomore Tanush Sajja
Outstanding – sophomore Lucas Calderon
Honorable – sophomore Olivia Chung
Plenary – sophomore Maria Soy
