The Model United Nations club recently attended EagleMUNC XIV in Boston, marking the first overnight conference experience for many of its members. Held over three long days, the conference brought new challenges, opportunities, and memorable moments for the team.
For some delegates, the conference stood out for its organization and the quality of debate. Senior Landen Boutilier described his experience positively.
“My committee was excellent and very well organized and run. My small crisis committee was full of very intelligent people and no overpowering delegates,” said Boutilier.
His experience highlights how smaller committees can create a more balanced and collaborative environment.
However, not every committee ran as smoothly. Senior Delaney Ogden noted some organizational issues.
“It was both of my chair’s first time running a committee. They were struggling, but no members of the secretariat were helping,” said Ogden. “Also, things like not having enough chairs were really frustrating. I also think timing was bad, and we consistently started late,”
Despite these setbacks, Ogden still found value in the experience.
“I had a really good time though, and my chairs were really trying their best. I had absolutely zero power delegates in my committee, and it seems like a group of people that were really willing to work with people,” said Ogden.
Senior Bryn Bucher shared a similarly balanced perspective, acknowledging both strengths and areas for improvement.
“I felt that this experience was rather delightful. Could my chairs show more enthusiasm? Yes. Could all committees have been equally as fun and interesting? For sure. But it was smoothly run for the most part,” said Bucher. “There were many power delegates in my committee, but Model UN would be pointless without enemies.”
Advisor Laura Greeley noted that overnight conferences present a completely different set of challenges compared to one-day events.
“Overnight conferences have so many more moving parts. Notably, at one-day conferences everyone is on the same schedule so, outside of committee sessions, our team is all together. At the multi-day overnight conferences, it’s impossible for us to all be together most of the day, so there’s a lot of scrambling to check in with and keep track of delegates individually. With the late nights and early mornings, it’s a whole new level of exhaustion,” said Greeley.
Despite the added complexity, Greeley praised the students for their maturity and responsibility throughout the trip.
“It’s always fun to watch our Masco delegates shining in their committees, but this year what stood out most was how responsible and trustworthy everyone was. They made it smooth and easy for us chaperones,” said Greeley.
Overall, EagleMUNC XIV proved to be a valuable learning experience for Masco’s Model UN team. While there were some organizational hiccups, the conference gave students the chance to develop their debate skills, collaborate with peers, and gain independence during their first overnight trip.