On January 6, the Edison High Model United Nations (EHSMUN) club hosted their fourth-annual high school Model UN conference, organizing the event for 170 students from JP Stevens, the Edison Academy Magnet School, West Windsor-Plainsboro High School North, West Windsor-Plainsboro High School South, and our own Edison High. Students spent the day debating the best approaches to solving real-world issues in one of five committees, guided by the conference’s theme of ”Politics and Power in the Modern Era.”

Delegates could address Modern Slavery in the Middle East, led by Suhani Chokshi ‘24 and Aditya Rao ‘26; revisit the Berlin Blockade with Sushanth Balaraman ‘24 and Krish Shah ‘24; create solutions to tackle Worldwide Food Insecurity with Madhav Mandala ‘24 and Srinidhi Tammana ‘25; re-enact the Bangladesh Liberation War with Soumita Banerjee ‘25 and Ishani Bakshi ‘26; or take on the Renaissance-aged Conspiracy Against the Medici with Ishaan Shetty ‘24 and Mithil Mishra ‘25.

For newer delegates, the conference provided an opportunity to improve their skills in a competitive yet comfortable environment.

“It was nice to be at a conference where I felt comfortable,” said Tamseel Momin ‘26, a first-time delegate at EHSMUNC. “As a newer delegate, it was less stressful, because I knew the people in my committee, and the chairs.”

Other students echoed Momin’s sentiments, claiming that the conference was a good place to ask questions.

“I didn’t get penalized for lacking experience,” said Prisha Patel ‘24. Everyone helped explain ideas, and the chairs were welcoming to any questions and didn’t make us feel bad for not knowing something.”

Many delegates enjoyed the diversity of ability-levels present at the conference.

“With so many students participating, I had a great time learning from seniors that had been doing Model UN for years and, overall, found the variety of committees a great thing,” said Akshat Dubey ‘27. “I have 3 more years in EHSMUN, so I’m hopeful I can continue to do this and other bigger conferences throughout high school,” says Dubey.

For experienced delegates, especially seniors in the club, EHSMUNC provided an enjoyable opportunity to practice and prepare for conferences held during the second half of the year.

“The organization and competition had certainly improved from last year, and I’m hopeful for the club, especially with NHSMUN coming up,” said Abhi Tamboli ‘24. “I loved the experience, and I hope to visit next year.”

Delegates from other schools enjoyed the fun atmosphere of EHSMUN.

“I liked how all the committees were about intriguing topics, and people were allowed to bloc with each other longer periods of time than in most conferences,” said Dylan Gurram ‘25, an officer from West Windsor-Plainsboro North High School North. “It was very fun; I would rate it a 9.5/10. The crisis updates were fun!”

From an administrative perspective, EHSMUNC was satisfying, as with more delegates participating than ever before, EHSMUN leadership was still able to maintain an organized conference.

“I was chairing about 45 kids, and it felt great to assist the beginners and veterans of MUN and see how capable they are with my own eyes,” said Krish Shah ‘24, Director of Finances for EHSMUN. “It was great to see so many new faces along with returning ones, and I’m especially proud of all of our delegates.”

Nevertheless, the conference would have never been possible without the instrumental support of Edison High’s staff.

“I’d like to give a special thanks to our advisors, Ms. Loria and Ms. Wertz,” said Shah. “They were committed to making this a great conference, and we couldn’t have done this without them.”

Following the successful run of its largest flagship event yet, the EHSMUN board is excited about the future of the club and looks forward to a successful and eventful Spring competition season.