In early March, the Highland Park Model United Nations and Congress team (HPMUNC) returned to Mexico for the first time since 2020. Mr. Gold, Ms. Soler, and a group of 25 students of all grade levels traveled from Newark to Mexico City as global ambassadors, not only as debaters. Over the next week, they dove into Mexican culture and won the Best Delegation award for the second time at Mexico City International Model United Nations (MIMUN).
Before the conference began, the Model UN team visited two Mexican private schools. At their first stop, Escuela Amayelli, Highland Park students toured the campus, played soccer, and participated in classes. Some senior debaters met with Escuela Ameyalli students to discuss rebuilding their Model UN program, which the school lost during the COVID-19 lockdown. At the second school, Colegio Williams, Highland Parkers partnered up with Williams students to discuss the similarities and differences between their cultural and academic experiences. Sophomore Emma Shannon thinks fondly of these visits, saying, “It was a good way to be able to connect to people…we would’ve never thought we have anything in common with.”
In addition to forming friendships with Mexican students, HPMUNC members enjoyed swimming in the hotel pool, exploring the neighborhoods of Condesa, Coyoacan, and Polanco in Mexico City, watching a lucha libre match—a highlight for senior Nora Atwater—and visiting important cultural sites. The team visited the National Museum of Anthropology one afternoon to learn about the history of various groups indigenous to Mexico, like the Mayans, Mexicas (Aztecs), and Teotihuacánes. They ended the day with a walk around Chapultepec Park and practiced their Spanish while buying souvenirs from vendors.
Another significant excursion took HPMUNC to Teotihuacán, a vast archaeological site that houses the Temple of Quetzalcoatl, the Pyramid of the Moon, the Pyramid of the Sun, and the Avenue of the Dead. Students learned about the people and architecture of Teotihuacán through a museum visit and a guided tour around the ancient Mesoamerican city. Seth Shapiro refers to these days as “an amazing experience to learn about new systems and cultures I never would have gotten…to see.”
At the MIMUN conference, some Highland Park delegates debated from a historical perspective, discussing the end of the Cold War in 1989. Others focused on present-day affairs, touching on topics from climate change to the Gaza Strip. After four days of debating issues, brainstorming solutions, and voting them into action, HPMUNC secured 25 individual awards. Some students earned multiple honors, and senior Hugh Pemberton walked away with four individual awards for his exceptional performance during the committee sessions. As a group, HPMUNC took home the 1st place title of Best Delegation at MIMUN 2024.
At the April 8 Board of Education meeting, Model UN members Yaya Hang, Ennyn Chiu, and Ana Juricic gave a presentation on the club’s time in Mexico City, reiterating their gratitude for the opportunity to travel and debate abroad. Further reflecting upon the trip, senior Miles Peterson stresses the community-building element of the experience: “I try really hard to get people to join Model UN because…being in a safe and open environment like that is something that not a lot of people get to have.”