Canisius Model UN hosts 47th annual high school conference

by Mikayla Boyd, Editor-in-Chief

On Thursday, Nov. 6, the Canisius Model United Nations club hosted its 47th annual conference for local high school students. Over 400 students from 30 schools were welcomed to campus to participate in the day-long simulation of United Nations councils, including the Security Council (3 versions), the Human Rights Council, the Economic and Social Council and a Historical Security Council, which is a simulation of the Security Council at a certain time in history, this year being 1995.

The day opened with speeches from Dr. Dersu Tanca, advisor of the club and visiting assistant professor in the political science and history department, President Stoute and Mikayla Boyd, the president of the club and secretary-general of the conference. Each welcomed students to campus and emphasized that the skills Model UN brings – collaboration, public speaking, compromise and advocacy – are more important in today’s climate more than ever. 

During the councils themselves, students acted as their alter ego would, meaning that if they were simulating the United States, for example, they would advance the international interests of the United States. Topic guides were created by the president and vice-president of the club, Mikayla Boyd and Sophia Nazarevych, and included topics such as ‘How to Halt the Houthis: Solving the Red Sea Crisis,’ ‘Addressing the Effectiveness of the 1994 Budapest Memorandum in Relation to Ukrainian Sovereignty and Global Security Assurances’ and ‘The Syrian Resilience: Condemning the Violation of Human Rights in Syria and Addressing the Syrian Refugee Crisis,” to name a few. 

Shayna Klose, a junior in the club who serves on the executive board as the public relations coordinator, chaired a version of the Security Council. She said, “Our 2025 fall conference, being my first time as a chair, exceeded my expectations. It was such a fun experience interacting with the delegates and watching their arguments unfold respective to each country’s views. Model UN is great when it comes to team building exercises and practicing your public

speaking.”

Ultimately, the annual Model UN conference is a Canisius tradition, and the club looks forward to continuing it for years to come.

High school students in the Economic and Social Council during an unmoderated caucus working on crafting resolutions (via Mikayla Boyd)