On Saturday, October 29th, Brewster High School hosted BrewMUNC VI, our sixth annual Model United Nations conference, planned by myself, Kendra Gonzalez, Ryan Williams, and Charlie Bloss, with Tom Mullane as our advisor. With assistance from the North Salem Model UN club, the all-day event hosted approximately 160 kids from school districts in our area, from Byram Hills, Horace Greeley, Scarsdale, Mahopac, and Canterbury. We started our morning with a light breakfast and a wonderful speech from the Honorable Joe Spofford, Putnam County Court Judge. Afterwards, delegates were able to participate in a wide variety of different types of committees and debate all sorts of topics, from the logic of the 2011 NBA Lockout to the strategies of the Irish Independence Movement. Delegates worked efficiently and accomplished a commendable amount in committee.

Of course, us Model UN kids aren’t totally serious. The conference was filled with laughter and a fun spirit to make debate seem more passable for the newer members, even if it seemed stuffy at a first glance. You wouldn’t believe me if I told you, but an inflatable dinosaur entered the Jurassic Park committee room and unfortunately took the life of one of our esteemed delegates. That delegate then went on to receive an award, so I suppose being eaten alive by a dinosaur from Jurassic Park pays off.

Model UN kids also have an irrational adoration for pizza. We offered a large array of options for lunch: chicken parm, eggplant rollatini, pasta salad, penne alla vodka, catered from only the finest in town, Aversano’s. However, we all noticed that the delegates moved past the hot trays and gravitated towards the six pizza pies we ordered, taking a shocking four slices at a time. Much of the feedback we were given after the conference was something along the lines of ‘I’d like some more pizza next year,’ which we duly noted.

Participating in this event was extremely fun, but planning an event such as this is another feat. Due to the time frame of our event, planning must start at the end of the previous academic year, which includes drafting an invitation letter and reserving a date. Once the summer ends and the new school year begins, planning does, too. I will admit: many of the days I spent after school were spent with both Kendra and Mr. Mullane, discussing prep packets and staffing issues. Coordinating meetings with North Salem so we could include them in our thought process became a challenge since transportation wasn’t readily available for us, and schools began emailing us with their own conflicts as October 29th grew closer and closer.

However, the payoff was worth it. Watching these delegates pass notes and work together to solve problems, listening to their positive feedback and praise, observing the way their eyes light up when they see those pizza boxes – it makes all the difference. Suddenly, the hours invested into planning such a big event was time well spent, and the unwavering support from everyone in the club only adds to the experience. Words cannot express how fulfilling it was to witness someone’s skills and/or experiences improve because of something we created.

I could ramble on and on about BrewMUNC and everything about it. But once you boil the conference down and look at it plainly, BrewMUNC is a coming together of ideas. It’s a union of hardworking and intelligent students who look forward to working towards a common goal. It’s a combination of delegates with varying skills and confidence levels that appreciate the art of debate and use it to critically think and problem solve.

I know I’m not alone when I declare that BrewMUNC VI was a huge success. I want to thank our staffers, all the delegates who attended, everyone else who contributed to our conference in some way, and (namely), Mr Mullane. Without your help, BrewMUNC VI would not have been as wonderful as it was! I can’t wait to see where BrewMUNC VII brings us next year.