January 27, 2025 by Areeba Suleman (‘26)
Upon my arrival in Saratoga, I remember exclaiming, “Surely, a school as large as this would boast a Model UN club!” But much to my dismay, it did not. I began asking around, searching for any sign of such an initiative, only to be met with blank stares and questions like, “What’s Model UN?”
Coming from a school with a powerful Model UN team, I had been immersed in the circuit for as long as I could remember. The hundreds of kids strewn across the room, the half-finished position papers abandoned in a corner, and the policies I had passionately articulated over the years seemed to call out to me. As I sat down next to the Blue Streak Cafe, sipping my iced hot chocolate in silence, I could not help but feel disappointed.
If there is one thing Model UN has taught me, it is this: There is always a way. Sometimes, you just have to pave it yourself. That is why I clung to my pen and began drafting this article to introduce Model United Nations to my fellow students here at Saratoga Springs High School.
At first glance, Model UN might sound unexciting, it is a simulation of the United Nations where students act as ambassadors representing different countries. But hear me out: Model UN is so much more than putting on a fancy blazer and staying up late writing position papers.
It is about the electrifying 10-second walk to the podium. It is about delivering a carefully crafted, 60-second speech with confidence and poise. It is about feeling your cheeks flush with adrenaline as you debate passionately, raising your placard high in a room filled with aspiring diplomats.
Source: The United Nations
Model UN is about discovering who you are. Yes, winning wooden gavels for exceptional diplomacy skills is thrilling. But the real treasures are the friendships you forge, the memories you create, and the invaluable life lessons you gain.
There is something profoundly beautiful about watching your peers, especially teenagers engage in diplomacy, working together to find common ground and making sense of the world’s complexities. It is in the unmoderated caucuses, where collaboration and communication take center stage. It is in the lively breaks between sessions, the intangibles. The air filled with music, laughter, and camaraderie.
Model UN is not just an extracurricular activity. It is a lifestyle.
With committees like the Security Council, SOCHUM, DISEC, and even crisis committees, Model UN has something for everyone. To give you an idea of its creativity, I once represented the Guardians of the Galaxy in a makeshift Interstellar Warfare Committee, tirelessly working to protect the galaxy from intergalactic chaos. Where else can you blend diplomacy with the MCU and still call it education?
Model UN teaches diplomacy, public speaking, critical thinking, and a nuanced understanding of global politics. It builds the next generation of thinkers, leaders, and problem-solvers. And as I sit here, sipping my signature iced hot chocolate, I cannot help but smile at the endless memories I have gathered over the years because of Model UN.
So, to my fellow students: Honorable students at Saratoga Springs High School, the Delegate of the Model UN humbly proposes a resolution to support global awareness and leadership through the creation of our very own Model UN club.
What do you say? Shall we pass this resolution together?
Source: The United Nations