Model UN club visits New York for CMUNCE conference

By NAOMI BREUER, 2024

The upper school Model United Nations (MUN) club recently went to the first in-person Columbia Model United Nations Conference and Exposition (CMUNCE) since 2020. The conference was held from Thursday, Jan. 12 to Sunday, Jan. 15 at the Columbia University campus in New York City. These students represented various nations, political or historical figures in their respective committee sessions, debating and working with other students from across the world to find solutions to the issues and crises they faced.

Outside of committee sessions, students had time to explore New York City and spend time with peers and new friends from the conference.

By TINDRA JEMSBY, 2026

What archetype most closely describes your teenage self?

NATALIE DENNEY (D): “The romantic. I wanted to travel the world and ride the rails.”

TONY GODWIN (G): “The opposite of me now. Potentially nerdy, very sporty.”

SUSHMITA VARGO (V): “You’re making me say it; I was one of those ditzy persons.”

What is one thing you hated about being a student?

D: “Getting up early, for sure. And the lack of freedom.”

G: “The attitude of the teachers, it was punitive.”

V: “I didn’t like that they boxed you. Children grow. ”

Could you describe a time when you got in trouble?

D: “When I was younger, I was a troublemaker, because I just wouldn’t do anything that reeked of standardized tests… I was a little bit mouthy. I was a little arrogant with one of my English teachers; she spelled things wrong and I let her know.”

G: “You’ve got to be caught to get in trouble. But no, not really. The consequences of being rebellious were too awful. But in terms of, ‘Did I do my homework?’ ‘Did I study hard?’ ‘Did I get things on time?’ ‘Was it my best work?’ And mostly yes, but you know, did I? Did I study early enough to be successful? Not really. I could cram like anybody the night before.”

V: “Yeah, I did get in trouble. And it is very, very shameful. I had a textbook, and my romance novel inside. And in the quad, they put a chair and I had to stand with my hands up. And your hands get tired, and you get embarrassed to death. I think I was in 10th grade. I couldn’t stop laughing.”

On a scale of one to 10, how much did you enjoy going to school?

D: “Eight, maybe? Kinda high? I got a lot of good feedback from it.”

G: “Am I allowed negative numbers? Yeah, no, I didn’t enjoy it. My recollection is that it was something you did because you had to do it.”

V: “I really did enjoy it. I would say nine?”

Denney , aged17, before seniorprom. Sheisnow a WIS chemistryteacher.

What profession did you want to go into growing up?

D: “I wanted to be a hobo. I wanted to be a person without a home, just traveling. I would have loved to play guitar for money and go buy some food and then keep going.”

G: “I thought I’d be an engineer, just like my dear old dad. I joined the company when I was 21, and bought some suits, cut my hair and became an engineer.”

V: “I wanted to be a mom. My mom was really upset with me. And the question was why? ‘Because,’ I said, ‘I want to boss my children around.”

What was your favorite subject(s) in high school?

D: “English for sure. I absolutely loved literature, like the written word.”

G: “I know this is going to be hard to believe. I really enjoyed art, history and geography.”

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Students eating dinner in Morningside Heights near Columbia University. Students on the subway on the way to committee. Delegates after buying lunch on Jan. 15.