Motivating Model UN Trip!

There’s no room for debate: Brooks School’s weekend at the annual Boston Model UN (BosMUN) conference was a success! Participating students showed off their negotiation skills, won an award and walked away inspired to continue competing in upcoming conferences.

“It’s always a delight to see students fired up about researching international politics and debating it in their free time,” said longtime Brooks’ Model UN advisor, Chair of the History Department Michele Musto of the February 10-12 competition at the Copley Marriott Hotel in Boston’s Back Bay. “BosMUN was at its full, pre-COVID size this year, so it was wonderful for all the students to experience the sheer number of schools and delegates with whom they interacted.”

Students on Brooks’ team were among 1,400 delegates who spent the weekend discussing and debating global issues including refugees, access to healthcare, the status of women worldwide and renewable energy and the environment.

Praising the group who “did everything from sponsoring resolutions and amending clauses, to single-handedly bankrupting Coca Cola Corporation and creating a marriage alliance,” Musto revealed that one student even won a special honor.

Tvisha Devireddy ’23 (shown above) earned a Verbal Commendation Award for her work as Switzerland in the World Health Organization.

“It felt really great being recognized for my preparation and everything I’ve learned over four years in Model UN,” said Devireddy. “I absolutely loved getting to represent Switzerland in the WHO and as someone interested in a career in the healthcare field, it was fascinating to approach public health from this lens.”

This year’s BosMUN was also “a bit sentimental” for her, she admitted. “This conference will be the last in my high-school career and I think this weekend I realized how much I’ve grown and improved since I first started.”

It may not be the end, though, for the sixth-former headed to Johns Hopkins University after graduation this May. “I’m considering joining the Hopkins MUN team!” she said.

Dedicated veteran participants, including Devireddy gave as much expertise as they got this year in the Brooks program, according to advisor Musto. “Many sixth-formers came away with tips for the club and how we can help the younger members have a strong senior year at BosMUN,” she said.

About half of the Brooks team was brand new to Model UN “so the conference helped to spark new members’ interest in how much fun discussing global diplomacy can be.”

Like Devireddy, these newbies want to keep competing, too. “Many of the younger Brooks students are interested in attending more conferences so they can sharpen their skills,” said Musto, currently in the process of looking into an April competition for the crew. “They have set their sights on winning awards in the future!”