Seventeen students from TCS MUN club attended a MUN model in Bogotá at Gimnasio los Pinos September 21–23.

This was the first time the TCS MUN Club attended an event outside Medellin. More than half of the TCS students in attendance gained recognition for their participation. Delegate awards included Best Delegate, Outstanding Delegate, and Best Peacemaker; the only three prizes available.

“I not only feel very proud that all the delegates performed as well as they did, but I feel extremely proud and happy to know that the entire delegation became friends and we all became very close” Joaquin Perez, TCS MUN Club President, said.

Delegates provided outstanding performance awards for TCS; Esteban Botero, Isabel Acosta, Agusto Leonardi, and Elisa Vazques won Best Delegate. Amelia Piedrahita, Santiago Ramos, Gregorio Velez, and Antonia Ramirez won Outstanding Delegate. Luciana Restrepo, Rosario Clavijo, Samuel Mendivelso, and Amalia Garcia won Best Peacemaker.

“This year we did very well because almost all of us won an award and I feel really proud and happy to see my friends and classmates do so well because we all wanted to see each other be happy and succeed,” Samuel Mendivelso, Grade 8, said.

Johan Ocampo, TCS’s Logistics and Extracurricular Coordinator was in charge of the logistics of the trip. Ocampo and HS English Teacher Alyssa Jodoin joined the students to ensure their safety and as the Sponsors representing TCS. 

“Logistically, setting up the MUN was really hard, there were a lot of steps to make sure the school allowed us to go, which made it frustrating at times, but the end result was so good that it was all worth it,” Perez said.

Ensuring good participation was a priority for the MUN Club Presidents as more than 5 delegates dropped out, and over 10 declined to attend. This led to the recruitment of Middle School Students, something not initially allowed. 

“This MUN was a very important one because it was outside of the city. I believe it was very important they let me go, even though I was younger than the rest of the people (8th grade). At the end of the day, it was very enriching to get to meet and experience new people and places,” Mendivelso, said. 

Perez served on the Board of Chair Presidents for GLPMUN, in charge of moderating the debates on his committee. Four TCS delegates were attending their first MUN, while for others it was their 3rd or 4th, leaving only a handful of experienced delegates.

“It was honestly my first MUN so I was very excited and also very nervous because I felt like maybe I would say something wrong. Before the MUN I was just very, very excited to go,” Rosario Clavijo, Grade 10, said.