The World Health Organization, Trump’s Cabinet, international security issues, and even orange face paint took center stage April 4 at Lane Tech’s Model United Nations conference. Model UN allows high schoolers to act as diplomats or counties in general committees, or also act as delegates from fictitious places in crisis committees.
In this conference, which was the first hosted by Lane, students were brought together to simulate distinct and real-world discussions in politics. Months of preparation made the event possible months before delegates were able to step into their complex roles.
Crisis Captain Roman Brice, along with many other team members, worked on the creation of the conference for over a year—leaving enough time to put together committees and invite schools from around the city. “[The conference is] just the sort of thing where you just have to go through with it,” said Brice, who is a senior. “You tell yourself ‘OK, we’re gonna start organizing this.’ And we have lots of connections with other schools.”
These connections are what got numerous schools and independent delegates to participate in Lane’s first Model UN conference. According to Brice, a simple message on Instagram can be enough to invite teams to the conference.
Enthusiasm was needed from Lane’s team, too. “What we needed for [the conference] to happen was people to create committees and be willing to chair them and have them happen,” Brice said.
One of these Chairs was junior Joc Krysik, the Chair of the World Health Organization (WHO) Committee. Krysik has been participating in MUN for three years—only as a delegate. “But now as a Chair, I get to create my own committee,” Krysik said. “Mila and I are the ones running the committee, and we are in charge of it.”
Being a Chair is a greater responsibility than just being a delegate, as more preparation is needed. “This will be a different experience to run [the committee], so we’ll definitely have more of a leadership role,” Krysik said.
The preparation came to life during the conference itself.
Competing in an ad hoc committee, sophomore Evie Chamlin entered without knowing her role ahead of time. “You don’t really know what your committee is deciding on or what position you have until you get there,” Chamlin said.
Instead of representing a country, her committee simulated a presidential cabinet and took on the roles of different political figures. Their task was to decide who they would nominate for the 2028 election.
Despite the uncertainty and need to adapt quickly to new information, Chamlin said this experience gave her a new appreciation for the challenges of debate. “It kind of makes me understand more how you actually need to debate people that don’t agree with you,” she said. “And how hard it is to kind of convince them to do something.”
Like many students, Chamlin was originally hesitant to join Model UN but encouragement from her friends helped her to take that step. ”If they can kind of help me out, then I don’t see any reason why I shouldn’t join,” she said.
While delegates experienced the event firsthand, club leaders worked behind the scenes to ensure the conference ran smoothly. Junior Deniana Clemente, a co-president and Deputy Secretary General of the Model UN, played a major role in organizing the meet. The team began planning in the summer and, with challenges such as schools canceling at the last minute and needing to quickly find replacements, Clemente said, “Honestly, it feels like a miracle and I’m just so grateful that it happened.”
Beyond logistics, Clemente highlighted the importance of leadership and representation within Model UN. “There’s not a ton of representation of brown women in politics,” she said. “So I just think it was important for me to stick with the team and do well.”
For senior Adam Parsons, preparations included reaching out to other schools, coordinating logistical arrangements, and planning productive committees. His and the rest of the team’s efforts helped establish the foundation for future conferences. “[To my knowledge] it’s the first time Lane Tech has ever had a conference,” said Parsons, who’s a Secretary General for Model UN. “And it’s really important that we start this tradition at our school because it promotes a new legacy of leadership.”
Model UN has also changed the way Parsons views global issues. “Being aware of things and learning about different sides and perspectives, different arguments makes you a more well rounded, thoughtful person,” he said.
