Phillips Academy’s Model United Nations club will not be attending this year’s North American Invitational Model United Nations (NAIMUN) conference in the winter. According to John Rogers, Dean of Studies, the financial aid funding for off-campus events was cut to ensure that students on financial aid can continue to receive their scholarships, as part of a larger effort to support Andover’s student financial aid program. “This decision [to cut funding for off-campus events] was made so that we would be able to meet the increased financial aid needs of current students,” said Rogers. The trip to the conference, held at Georgetown University, costs $800 per student. In past years, the Financial Aid Office has paid a percentage of the cost for students on financial aid proportional to those students’ tuition scholarship. This year, the school has ceased to give financial aid for programs outside of school, like MUN’s trip to Georgetown, in an effort to save money in the financial aid budget. Only clubs with separate budgets or endowments have been allowed to attend off-campus events. Julian Chernyk ’10, Co-Under Secretary General of MUN, said “I understand the rationale, but I’m still upset.” Chernyk said that the MUN Senior board proposed to attend the conference with a smaller group of delegates, but this proposal was denied. Will Lindsey ’10, Co-Under Secretary General, is not optimistic about future attendance at the conference. “I wouldn’t be surprised if they don’t bring funding back to the conference,” said Lindsey. The MUN club received money in an Abbot Grant for travel fees and registration dues, but that did not change the administrations decision regarding the off campus event. Lindsey said that although the club received an Abbot Grant, the final decision came down to the administration. Instead, the club will use the money from the Abbot grant to attend more conferences in the spring. “The Abbot grant will let [20 delegates] attend a conference at Harvard, and will cover the transportation costs. We can’t send as many people as we’d like to, and it’s not as big a trip,” Lindsey said. According to Hoonie Moon ’10, Secretary General of Model UN, the club will attend three additional conferences this spring: Concord Academy MUN, UMass-Lowell MUN, and Boston College High School MUN. Lindsey said that not attending NAIMUN “gives the club less national exposure, and fewer kids get the chance to compete.” In past years, Andover delegates at NAIMUN have performed relatively well, with prizes in first, second and third place. “NAIMUN is something we always look forward to, but we’re going to Harvard instead,” said Chernyk. “Hopefully [MUN] will still be [a popular club] on campus.” “The economy has to return to a state where [the school] can sponsor trips like this,” he said. NAIMUN, sponsored by Georgetown University and held in Washington, D.C., is the largest high school Model United Nations conference in the western hemisphere.
