Preparations for COSMUN have entered high gear once again. A student-led event that will be held from March 5 to 8, it has become one of the largest events at TCS.

COSMUN, also known as The Columbus School’s Model United Nations has been held annually since 1997, Since then, it has grown to be recognized internationally, with this edition having up to 500 delegates from Colombia and Latin America. “What is also very exciting to point out is that we have multiple international schools, such as Country Day School from Costa Rica, coming in to participate in our model. This, of course, enriches the model and provides our internal delegates with an excellent experience,” Senior Mariana Mesa, COSMUN Secretary General, said.

This year, COSMUN has scaled up from 16 to 19 committees, making it the largest Model UN event in Medellín. This, in turn, requires 40 presidents from TCS and other schools in Medellín to lead the 19 committees, including Marymount School Medellín, Vermont School, Deutsche Schule Medellín, Colegio Montessori, Colegio La Enseñanza, Colegio Theodoro Hertzl, and Colegio San Ignacio. Preparations with these students from other schools began in early June 2023. “The work ethic with our team has been great, I think that we have a very good team this year. Everybody has been completing their roles successfully and we have been able to communicate properly in order to make COSMUN 2024 as successful as we want it to be,” Mesa said.

In Model UN, delegates are to simulate a variety of committees with different topics. From the Security Council talking about the Myanmar crisis to the Supreme Court of the United States hosting the case of Donald Trump vs. the United States, there is a wide selection of committees for delegates to choose from. The Colombian Senate has had increased demand in recent editions, with many of the participants having a significant interest in Colombian law and politics. “For me, COSMUN is an opportunity for learning and for becoming a better person who is prepared for the real world. I expect to see prepared delegates who are ready to debate very sensitive Colombian topics. My suggestion is to represent your country or representative as well as you can and act like it, because, at the end of the day, we are responsible for the future of Colombia,” Samuel Mendivelso, Senado de la República Vice-President, Grade 9, said.

This year, the COSMUN team is working to exceed expectations and integrate new dynamics into the committees that have historical topics such as the Bolshevik Revolution and the Russo-Japanese War. Moreover, COSMUN is also giving financial aid for the assistance of delegates from the Institución Educativa INEM José Félix de Restrepo. This has been a mission that COSMUN has had for many years but has only started thriving this year, with a campaign to collect funds placed in motion at TCS some weeks earlier. “All the other people have had to pick up their slack, but they’ve done a great job with it. I know there’s some new initiatives that we want to take on, like getting kids from other schools sponsored, where they get a scholarship to come, and just trying to also talk about great and relevant topics while also avoiding ideas that aren’t too controversial. A couple of them had to be tampered down just a bit for political correctness and the safety of everybody,” Emily Butterworth, COSMUN Academic Sponsor, said.

For all participants, this is a space where all can meet new people not only from other schools in Medellín but from other cities in Colombia and Latin America. For dozens of students, this will be their first time inquiring in Model UN. It is not rare for newcomers to feel fear of speaking in public or speaking in the third person—which is not an easy task—but many believe that this can be mastered through practice and experience. “I think the most important skills that it [COSMUN] gives is that you get the ability to research with credible sources and cite them, along with debating skills which are also very important to prove your point.” Miguel Velásquez, Grade 8, said.

With sign-ups now closed, the COSMUN team now awaits students from other schools, cities, and countries to pick their committees. In this process, students who are to participate as delegates will be assigned a country or character to represent during the three days of debate. In this process, students who are to participate as delegates will be assigned a country or character to represent during the three days of debate, necessitating the preparation of a portfolio comprising opening speeches and position papers. “I would say again, preparation, just preparing what you know about your country so you feel like you know what you can say. And then, just go for it, because I think the scariest thing is lifting up your placard. But it’s okay; you’re learning, you’re students, and it’s really great to see new participants.” Butterworth said.