Catherine Devlin’s room hums with purposeful energy as students collaborate on opening statements, debate the finer points of resolution writing, and weigh the pros and cons of tech vs. no-tech conferences.
Although Model UN is a relatively new addition to Fay, the club is quickly gaining a reputation on the local conference circuit for thoughtful, well-prepared delegates who hold their own against older competitors in complex global debates.
This year, Fay’s Model UN students attended two conferences hosted by the United Nations Association of Greater Boston and finished the year by hosting their own! At their first Model UN conference in November, Fay‘s ten delegates stood out among 600 participants, successfully passing all four of the resolutions they proposed. Eleanor Z. ’26 and Subhi M. ’26 were both recognized as Best Negotiators on their committees. Based on that performance, Subhi and Eleanor were invited to the December Invitational Model UN, where Subhi won Best Delegate. In March, the team logged another strong performance with Maxwell D. ’25 and Rachel K. ’26 earning Best Position Paper and Blair W. ’27, Allan T. ’26, Subhi M. ’26, and Eleanor Z. ’26 taking home Best Public Speaker awards for their respective committees. “The students were eloquent and hardworking, and they shone as confident public speakers,” recalls Catherine. With four major awards up for grabs at each Model UN conference, Fay students have been recognized in every category this year!
Preparing for a conference in just 50 minutes a week was no small feat. During the first half of each meeting, students focused on crafting opening statements, drafting resolutions, and navigating the formal language of Model UN. During the second half, students practiced impromptu public speaking by drawing random topics out of a hat to speak on for one minute, or played the game Mafia, which sharpens negotiation and persuasion skills as players try to uncover the hidden “mafia” among them. With twenty students in the club and only ten spots available per conference, students were paired into teams–one attending and one not attending for each conference. That way, both partners shared responsibility for research and preparation, ensuring that everyone stayed engaged and invested in the team’s success regardless of whether they attended the event.
Before each conference, students are assigned a country, a committee, and a current global issue being debated within the United Nations. For example, at one conference this year, a team was assigned to represent Iraq in UNESCO, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. Their task was to research and present Iraq’s position on the trafficking and repatriation of cultural artifacts. At the conference, students aimed to collaborate with like-minded countries to draft resolutions addressing this and other pressing global issues. Often, students may be assigned to present and defend a position that they don’t personally agree with, which creates an opportunity for perspective-taking. “Model UN teaches the art of structured, respectful debate,” says Catherine. “The fact that you earn diplomacy points for conceding, agreeing, or compromising and for comporting yourself professionally is valuable, and it will serve these students well.”
Fueled by their successful year, Fay’s Model UN members took the initiative to organize their own event this spring. They planned and hosted FayMUN 2025, a morning conference held on Sunday, May 18, inviting sixth graders and Upper School students who were curious about Model UN. Fay’s Model UN leaders selected two committees and topics to be debated: the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) focused on Water Security and Resource Allocation in one committee room, while the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) debated the issue of nuclear disarmament in the other. Four students from St. Mark’s School’s Model UN organization volunteered to serve as chairs in each committee room. While the Fay conference was intentionally designed to be a low-stakes event, the St. Mark’s chairs presented awards in the traditional categories, and the expectations for use of parliamentary procedure, diplomacy, advocacy, and strong public speaking were the same. In her opening remarks, Catherine encouraged the participants, many of whom will be joining Model UN next year, to speak up and share their ideas. “Remember that your ideas are powerful and we need to hear them,” she said. “If you are afraid to speak up, just think that your silence could be robbing the committee of a brilliant new idea.”