MUN more time

Before the Thanksgiving season came to an end, the Model United Nations (MUN) team gave themselves much to be thankful for after their award-winning performances at two conferences. 

After holding their third annual AHPMUN conference at the end of September and training sessions thereafter, the MUN team put together an all-novice roster to take to the University of Connecticut Model United Nations Conference (UCMUN) Nov. 8-10. Walking away from the conference with more combined awards than any other delegation, the team felt reassured of their future after this year’s senior class graduates.

“The fact that we were able to take all of our rookies and still walk away with the best award shows our future is in good hands, and the training sessions we’ve had since the start have the year have been impactful,” MUN co-president senior Jackson Arnberg said. “UConn was one of the best MUN trips of my high school experience.”  

In addition to the all-novice roster, the three MUN co-presidents also attended UCMUN. One of the co-presidents, senior Aamir Lacewala, who has been in MUN since his freshman year, won the Betty Hanson Best Delegate award. The conference awards the honor to one delegate each year, and Lacewala felt overwhelmed upon hearing his name called.

“I’ve put in a lot of work trying to get better [at MUN] over the last four years so this sign of that at a high level felt nice,” Lacewala said. “It also felt really good to cement our position as an elite team by making sure every school in the New England area knows Heritage’s name by winning that award.”  

Seniors Logan Kapit, Aamir Lacewala, Jackson Arnberg and Timothy Esposito each earned themselves a “Best Delegate” gavel at UCMUN. Although Kapit, Lacewala and Arnberg are MUN veterans serving as current co-presidents of the organization, UCMUN was Esposito’s first conference. (Photo submitted by Jackson Arnberg)

A week later, the three co-presidents and a roster composed of more experienced MUN members took off to another conference, this one at the University of Virginia. The Virginia Model United Nations Conference (VAMUN), which took place Nov. 15-17, proved to be a more difficult competition for the team, but they took home over a dozen awards, nonetheless.

“As great as VAMUN was, the best times on the trip came outside of committee sessions and more from team activities,” co-president senior Logan Kapit said. The team enjoyed a variety of bonding experiences, including touch football, a tour of Thomas Jefferson’s home and senior Dylan Riffle’s comedic ghost tour of the UVA campus. 

After completing two back-to-back conferences, the Model UN team will take a break until the Ivy League Model United Nations Conference (ILMUNC) in January.