Columbus Steals the Show

Columbus kids all suited up as delegates, sit together with great anxiety at the CUSMUN (Colegio Cumbres) 2018 closing ceremony, awaiting the awards. Participating in all seven committees, the group awaits for all the awards and find themselves standing up in joy award after award, for almost half the entire model’s prizes. Ranging from best rookie to best delegate, all screaming and applauding their schoolmates with pride, definitely the noisiest group.   

For the first time in the MUN Club’s history here at the Columbus School, more than 20 delegates attended an external model. This year around 30 students signed up to participate and around 21 actually attended CUSMUN from April 10-13th.

What Went Down

Compared to the dimensions and immensity of COSMUN, our local model UN, and other external ones where TCS has participated, in cities such as Miami and Valledupar, this model was significantly smaller, but gave kids who had already experienced COSMUN the confidence and debating skills they needed to thrive and stand out.  

“We are used to much bigger models, this year our model had around 15 committees, double the size of Cumbres’… the size and the variety of our school’s model result in a higher level of debate. You could see the difference between Columbus kids and all other delegates, without sounding conceited, we really stood out,” Gregorio Noreña, TCS freshman and GAU delegate said with great pride.

It was great for students to experience a model that was held out of a school’s facilities like El Club Union, a private membership club in Medellín located in San Fernando Plaza, which lent its conference rooms, that as said, changed the feeling to it.

“The vibe we got made us feel like real grown ups. Not being at a school and having such professional assistance, gave the model a bump up of sophistication that added to the quality of the debates and our motivation,” remarked Valeria Sierra, 9th grader and delegate of the Dialogos de Paz committee.

Magnitude of our Participation

Colegio Cumbres extended a great offer to TCS, allowing up to 30 delegate seats, almost a 10% of the model.  “It was a pleasure to receive such a grand invite. I’m glad the delegates lived up to the event and the duty we had as a school,” said Federico Caro, senior and Columbus School Secretary General.

Not only did the school have the greatest delegation in size, but they were spread out through all seven committees: three committees being held in spanish and other five held in english. One being held in the past, one held in a hypothetical future and the other five held in present tense. Disregard the quality and conditions of the committee, they were all characterized by one standard,  at least two Columbus kids.

Columbus Steals the Show

Additionally in six out of the seven committees Columbus took home an academic award, a total of 10 awards and two mentions of honor. Twelve out of 21 delegates being praised, with four of them as Best Delegates, two Best Speakers, two as Outstanding Delegates, and two Best Rookies, this was definitely a knock out of the park for TCS.

The level and expectations were just as any other model but as were projected by the awards and the Columbus legacy clearly being sustained, CUSMUN was a highlight for TCS history that will be remembered both by those who attended and the entire school community that must praise the delegates involved.

“The greatest thing, even more than the number of the awards, and how we spread dominating the model was the fact that we were all freshmen, sophomores and juniors. We showed the seniors about to graduate who are part of the MUN club, that we will keep their legacy alive and there is nothing for them to worry about,” said Sofía Niño, TCS junior, COSMUN president and delegate of the GAU.

For those who got to live it up close, with great history behind, with a number of MUNs on their backs, it was a rewarding experience and motivation to keep being a part of events like this understanding and grasping on to the full picture and what it means.

“I was incredibly impressed, more than any other model I was surprised but I knew and expected the excellent academic performance and I saw how people prepared for it… especially in my committee that was incredibly challenging with a futuristic idea,” Juan Felipe Gaviria, TCS sophomore said. “CUSMUN was a step out and a great experience, I am so proud of every single one of my fellow delegates, and happier everyday to know this is what I do,” Gaviria added.

Experiences like this are what MUN stands for, a community that support each other academically and in their hearts proven by the incredible pride the three rows of Columbus delegates on the edge of their seats felt as they called on every single familiar name, a classmate and fellow TCS Tiger.