COSMUN 2026, held March 3–6 at The Columbus School, strengthens leadership and academic growth within the school community.

Students involved in COSMUN describe the event as a challenging but rewarding experience that helps them grow both personally and academically. COSMUN plays an important role in the school by promoting leadership, global awareness, and critical thinking skills among students.

Sofía Betancur, a 12th-grade student who has participated several times as a delegate, shared that over time she has felt “more confident in her abilities” and has enjoyed the experience more. She explained that during her first year, she was “really stressed doing it.” Betancur also highlighted the communication skills gained, explaining that while people expect to learn how to speak in large groups and respond on the spot, they also end up meeting new people and making new friends. She said this social aspect made the experience especially enjoyable.

When asked what advice she would give future participants, preparation and attitude were common themes. Sofía said she would tell future students who want to participate in COSMUN to “be well prepared and really enjoy it,” adding that “it’s really the best.”

While delegates focus on debating and representing their assigned countries, another group of students takes on a different responsibility during the conference. From a journalism perspective, students involved in press coverage explained that their goal is to represent the event accurately.

Emma Restrepo, Vice President of the press team, said, “We like to cover a bit from every single committee.” In COSMUN, a committee is a group of delegates who debate a specific global issue, such as human rights, security, or climate change, with each student representing a different country. Restrepo mentioned that the press team also aims to showcase what each delegate is doing.

However, reporting also presents challenges. Debates happen in real time, which means reporters “can’t get close enough to the action.” Because of this, it is harder to capture exact quotes, observe delegates’ reactions, and clearly show what is happening during the debate.

Despite these difficulties, students believe the coverage reflects the event fairly. Emma said the press represents COSMUN by showcasing its values as “a learning environment made for leadership and purpose.” In this context, “its values” refers to the goals of COSMUN: encouraging students to think critically, speak confidently, collaborate with others, and take initiative during debate.

Many students emphasized the educational impact of COSMUN. Camilo Hoyos, the press teacher sponsor, described the event as having “a huge educational value” because it builds soft skills such as leadership, research, pitching, and teamwork. He went even further, saying he believes students learn “way more during this event than they would just coming to regular classes.” Hoyos also explained that the impact is noticeable afterward, as students return to class “with a totally different perspective on education.”

Overall, the voices of students and organizers suggest that the experience goes beyond the event itself, leaving participants more self-assured, skilled, and engaged in their learning.