Photo provided by EagleMUNC
EagleMUNC, a Boston College organization dedicated to providing one of the most innovative experiences on the Model United Nations circuit, recently celebrated its fifth anniversary with a weekend-long conference held at the Westin Copley Place in Boston.聽
Each year, BC undergraduates plan and run the event 鈥� which was named 鈥淢ost Innovative鈥� by a website ranking MUN teams across the country 鈥� for hundreds of high school students from around the country. This year, schools from Canada and Greece sent representatives, lending the conference an international perspective.
EagleMUNC Under Secretary General of External Affairs Amelie Trieu 鈥�18 says EagleMUNC is committed to the advancement of a globally conscious society through experiential education, a collaborative community, and forward thought.
鈥淭he three pillars of our mission include education, community and innovation,鈥� said Trieu. 鈥淲e believe in experiential learning rooted in the global reality and pledged first and foremost to promote diversity and opportunity in every aspect of the conference.聽
鈥淲e strive to foster a broad and collaborative community through which every educator and student takes part in meaningful and honest dialogue on the world and how to best understand it, and we rest on a foundation of forward thought and strive to perpetually innovate to advance our mission.鈥�
Echoing this year鈥檚 theme 鈥淭he Interplay of Power and Ethics,鈥� keynote speaker FBI Special Agent Jeff Woods talked about the difficulty in discerning the line between right and wrong, especially when one has the ability to abuse his or her power.
Among the changes introduced at EagleMUNC was the Lobby Corps committee, to provide delegates an opportunity to sway policy-making in other committees by using their own personal budgets, often with the intent of creating a Utopian society.聽
In addition, EagleMUNC this year experimented with virtual reality in the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, and a 40-hour simulation exercise in which delegates received 3 a.m. e-mails and had to resolve crises between pre-scheduled committee sessions. A new smartphone app helped to enhance the advisor and delegate experience throughout the conference. 聽
Trieu said these and other changes EagleMUNC has made over the years reflect the various suggestions and comments received from participants. 鈥淲e take the feedback very seriously and work hard to create a meaningful experience for all of the students in attendance.鈥� 聽
Suzanne Larson and Jennifer Borden, Model UN advisors for Seekonk High School, praised EagleMUNC.
鈥淪ince its founding, EagleMUNC has grown and evolved into the fully immersive event that it is today. 聽The recent addition of the Ad-Hoc and Lobby Corps committees present a unique challenge to students who are experienced and able to nimbly adapt to a demanding simulation,鈥� said Larson.
Added Borden, 鈥淥ur students look forward to EagleMUNC as a highlight of our competitive year, and my co-advisor and I are so happy that there are challenges to engage every student, from novice to seasoned debater.鈥�
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鈥揝iobhan Sullivan / University Communications