Delegate, That is Not in Order: ASFMUN 2024 Recap

ASFMUN came and went as fast as you can say “motion to open a 15 minute unmoderated caucus”. During that time, ASF students got to dress up, speak diplomatically, and represent unique perspectives as delegates of a wide variety of countries. Since the year 1971, ASF has held the Model United Nations conferences with a high degree of sophistication under the belief that it will foster and further develop research, oratory, and critical thinking skills. In person for the first time after the pandemic, ASFMUN 2024 was a huge success, and will go down in ASF history as a strong comeback to this prestigious event.

Sofia Ugalde and Eugenio Kuri, Co-Secretary Generals, giving their speech at the Opening Ceremony.

The entire upper school body––aside from the class of 2027, on their field trip to Teotihuacan and the Memory and Tolerance Museum––participated in the conference either as delegates, chairs, reporters, or part of the secretariat. Leading the secretariat were Eugenio Kuri and Sofia Ugalde, who did an outstanding job organizing every little detail to make the conference as enjoyable as it was for us all. Nevertheless, this was no easy feat for our Co-Secretary Generals; Sofia shared how “it was challenging to train all the chairs and make sure they understood. The dynamics were very difficult to figure out” (Secretary General, class of 2024). Her favorite part, on the other hand, was getting to organize the opening ceremony with the little kids, and we would all be lying if we said we didn’t love seeing the class of 2035 holding up flags twice their sizes. 

Class of 2035 helping Chairs hold up flags during the “Parade of Nations” segment of the Opening Ceremony.

We all stood proudly and respectfully when it came time for the symbolic tradition of the honor flag guard ceremony, commemorating México and the United States of America. Next, the distinguished keynote speaker, Dana Graber, was up on stage, sharing about her experiences as Chief of Mission for IOM Mexico in UN Migration. She inspired us all with her 25 years of experience as an international development professional, working to develop and manage humanitarian assistance. Next on the podium were Mr. Miles, Mr. Whittard, and Mr. Kolia O’Connor, sharing inspiring words to send us off into a successful conference full of purposeful debating.

Dana Graber, keynote speaker and Chief of Mission for IOM Mexico.

From protecting the intellectual property rights of creators to prevent the death of the author, to discussing the safety and importance of using nuclear energy as a power source or weaponry, delegates engaged in meaningful and interesting debates. While for some, the push out of their comfort zones was not a pleasant experience, many thrived under the spotlight, bringing up quick facts and retorts diplomatically. Students got into their roles and stood by their countries’ stances, voicing their desires and demands; “I loved arguing, it was my favorite part,” said Francisca Pani (delegate, class of 2025). Each committee had their own topic of debate, crisis, and varying personality types that made the experiences unique across the board. Ghost Delegate, Machine Gun, and even Best Dressed awards were presented to delegates that stood out for reasons not associated with merit, bringing forward the jokes and funny–or even awkward–moments that took place throughout those two action-full days of debating. 

Delegates in the middle of a moderated caucus.

On a more serious note, ASFMUN presented those who wanted to make the most of the experience with an opportunity to step into the spotlight and show what they were capable of doing. Many of these strong debaters who put themselves out there and impacted their committees positively went on to gain recognition from awards such as Best Delegate, Best Position Video, and Honorable Mention. 

JP Moran, Best Delegate, receiving his award as well as recognition/validation from Mr. Miles.

ASFMUN 2024 sparked thoughtful arguments, unexpected friendships, and personal development in many. Its success caught the attention of teachers and admin, as expressed in their speeches at the closing ceremony, which marked the end of the conference. We can all agree that while we weren’t particularly looking forward to it, MUN was a valuable and genuinely fun experience that we will remember fondly. Let’s hope future conferences are as fun and eventful as this one was, and may we steer clear from starting World War III in the next one!