Best of the Week 2021-2022: Excellence in College Prep

ST. ED'S HOSTS CLEIMUN22 MODEL UN CONFERENCE, WELCOMING DELEGATES TO ST. EDWARD HIGH SCHOOL

The CLEIMUN22 Model United Nations Conference took place at St. Edward High School this week, welcoming over 200 delegates from 12 schools, including middle school students. With many Edsmen Model UN members serving in various leadership roles throughout the competition, this innovative conference taught students how to collaborate through adversity, problem-solve as a team, and build new relationships while experiencing the duties that come with hosting such a large conference on-campus. "My biggest takeaway from hosting the conference at St. Ed's is the sheer amount of commitment, the dedication it takes to make the whole thing work. We have rapporteurs on a Zoom call from England staying up until 3:00 a.m. to consult throughout the conference, and our chairs have had to give up countless Sundays, week after week, for our workshops. The commitment of delegates to be in a committee room for hours on end, striving to come up with solutions, putting in the hours beforehand to make draft resolutions, the press team and film crew, logistics, directors, advisors - it takes a lot. CLEIMUN is a much longer conference than just three days. It is the culmination of hours upon hours of hard work," says William Perrins '23. "What sets this conference apart is the sense of teamwork and community fostered amongst the leadership team and delegates. It takes constant communication between the three chairs and the other leaders to keep things going and running smoothly during the day of the conference, and it takes trust and confidence in each other in order to do that." "I worked out solutions with other delegates from different backgrounds that I normally wouldn’t have the opportunity to learn from, one of the valuable aspects of CLEIMUN that will always endure. There was much debate and many discussions and amendments to solve our differences, but at the end of the day, our resolutions were a clear testament to the council’s dedication, perspectives, and goal for peace," says Samuel Clemente. "In my fourth year as part of the CLEIMUN conference, the flexibility of the conference has become my favorite part," says Sam Richardson '22. "Both years that I have been on the secretariat were during the COVID-19 pandemic, and we have been forced to make significant changes during that time. From hosting a largely virtual CLEIMUN21, to holding the entire conference at St. Ed's, CLEIMUN has kept us on our feet. But each time, we persevere. No matter what setbacks have presented themselves, each time CLEIMUN survives and grows stronger."