From SHS to NYC

By Conor Baranski
Reader Contributor

From March 10-15, 20 students and three chaperones of SHS’s honors-level International Relations class trekked to the heart of New York City to attend the National High School Model United Nations (NHSMUN) conference — the largest and most prestigious MUN conference in the world. 

Students participated in various committees for three-plus hours a day, attempting to pass resolutions on real-world issues around the globe. 

Students pictured: Bailey Lancaster, Fisher Dail, Houston Cordle, Carys Perilloux, Elizabeth Craven, Sophie Capodagli, Alex Appl, Trevor Richardson, Sienna Todd-Murray, Ari Holle, Jetta Thaete, Lane Gavin, Ada Anderson, Brooke Brown, Kenzi Norris, Gavan Miles, Maddie Hall, Bryce Tyburski, Maddie Mitchell, Camille McClelland
Teacher pictured: Conor Baranski.

Students gained hands-on experience in international diplomacy, developed public speaking and negotiation skills, and broadened understanding of global affairs as they represented either Switzerland or Bangladesh. The academic work was rigorous over the conference, and definitely a trip of endurance. 

I was deeply impressed with how hard they had to work in these committees, as they are under a time constraint to agree upon the best course of action — often in committees of 50-100 delegates. 

While work was intense, the group was able to play as well. We attended the Museum of Natural History, strolled through Central Park and saw Aladdin on Broadway on our first day before the conference started. Next, some students elected to visit the Statue of Liberty and the 9/11 Memorial, while others toured the Museum of Modern Art. The conference also featured former-President Joe Biden as a guest speaker. 

New York City is pretty incredible to contrast to Sandpoint, and our students had experiences that I hope will last a lifetime. The cultural diversity of the city and at the conference was staggering. Our class worked with students from Italy, France, Venezuela, the United Arab Emirates, England, Georgia (the country), Australia, Costa Rica, Spain, Cambodia, Mexico, China, Canada, Germany, California, Florida, Michigan, Connecticut, Texas and many more.  

By the time I purchased the plane tickets, these students had raised around $35,000 in just a few months, and it was a significant grind with ups and downs in confidence that we would ever get over the threshold needed to actually attend the conference. 

In the end, the community was so supportive of these students’ academic goals, and we are all so very thankful. As I said before, I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that we made lifetime memories. 

We’re already making plans for NHSMUN 2026.

Conor Baranski teaches at Sandpoint High School.