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Yale MUN Trip

Jan. 18-25

By Kristine Liao

February 8^th, 2015

day 1: welcome to new york

Our day began at the unholy hour of 4:30 a.m., and continued on with a 5 1/2-hour flight and another half-hour drive until we finally arrived at the New York Hilton Midtown Manhattan Hotel around dinner time. Located on the Avenue of the Americas, our hotel was only a 10-minute walk from Times Square. So after a bit of settling down and unpacking, we decided to brave the cold and stroll up there for dinner. It was not until we found ourselves in the midst of the characteristic lights and honks of Times Square that it hit us — we were in The Capital Of The World, The City That Never Sleeps, New York, New York.

The sight of the ball drop tower surrounded by colorful ads and busy car lights makes us stare in awe.

The 13 juniors hit the ground running after a day spent in transit.
photo by John Remmell — The 13 juniors hit the ground running after a day spent in transit. photo by John Remmell

Angela Kim and Amy Mohajer enjoy their first night in the heart of Manhattan.

The 13 of us split up for dinner — some went to Hard Rock Café, others went to get pizza. After a warm and satisfying meal, we all met back up for dessert at where else but M&M’s World.

“Just walking in there gave me diabetes,” said junior Mackenzie Nienhuis.

Jackson Davis shows off his $58 bag of M&M's.

Alana Mayes and Mackenzie Nienhuis are more conservative on purchasing M&M's.

Kristi Fecarotta waits her turn to find out which M&M's color she is.

day 2: lower manhattan

Waking up to the cold is never a pleasant feeling, unless you’re waking up in New York. After a slight setback due to the two boys who were still sound asleep by the time we were supposed to be heading out, all 13 of us successfully boarded the 10 a.m. ferry to the Statue of Liberty.

“I had only seen the Statue of Liberty on TV and in movies, but it was surreal to see it in person,” said junior Kristi Fecarotta. “I wish we had enough time to go inside of it, but it was still amazing to see one of the true icons of the United States.”

The Statue of Liberty shines copper green amidst the clouds.

The 13 juniors gather in front of the picture-perfect Manhattan skyline.
photo by John Remmell — The 13 juniors gather in front of the picture-perfect Manhattan skyline. photo by John Remmell

Alex Estrada and Spencer Firestone pose in front of Ellis Island's Main Building from the ferry.

Skyler Yang and Alex Estrada deck out in their beanies.

Angela Kim, Mackenzie Nienhuis and Kristine Liao grab a photo with both the Statue and the skyline.

Mackenzie Nienhuis, Kristi Fecarotta, Taylor Poehlman and Amy Mohajer huddle together on the ferry for warmth.

By the time we got off the ferry, it was almost noon. We headed to the Financial District to meet up with SMCHS alumni Anna Marie Jennings ‘14 who now attends NYU. She led us all around Lower Manhattan by foot, taking us to the New York Stock Exchange, 9/11 Memorial, Little Italy, Chinatown, SoHo and parts of the NYU campus.

The pizza in Little Italy makes us drool for more.

We roam the streets of Chinatown collecting souvenirs of all sorts.

“I was looking forward most to visit the 9/11 Memorial,” said junior Spencer Firestone. “I wanted to pay respect to the culmination of thousands of people’s efforts in remembering the events that devastated our country so greatly. It was definitely inspiring to see the new metro station and the symbolical element of the ‘wings’ that really show the determination of the people who were affected by the events on Sep.11.”

Alana Mayes and Mackenzie Weil visit the famous Wall Street.

Amy Mohajer takes in the majesty of the 9/11 Memorial.

After a long day of walking at the speed of a New Yorker, we finally earned the privilege of taking public transportation back to Midtown.

New Yorkers wait for their subway to arrive.

As daylight ran thin and the city lit up like a Christmas tree, we decided that it was the perfect time to visit the Top of the Rock. As we made our way to the Rockefeller Center, Merlin the Magician materialized into sight. He took out three cards, one with ‘this’ on it and the other two with ‘that’. He kept tricking us with where the ‘this’ and ‘that’ cards were in the pile of three, and we would always get it wrong, despite having 13 pairs of eyes watching his every move. Once he got bored of fooling with us, he pulled his final move.

“Sometimes in life, you get a little bit of ‘this’ (he flips over the top card), you get a little bit of ‘that’ (he flips over the bottom card), but you know what you don’t get a lot of?” Merlin flips over the middle card. “Opportunity.”

Merlin the Magician brings us a pleasant surprise and a valuable lesson.

A nighttime view of Central Park from the Top of the Rock.

After a good laugh, we said our farewells to Merlin and headed up to the Top of the Rock.

“When we were going up to the Top of the Rock, it felt like a roller-coaster in the elevator, kind of like the Tower of Terror [at Disneyland],” said Amy Mohajer. “But once we finally got to see the view, it was like you could see every single light in The City That Never Sleeps.”

A nighttime view of 432 Park Avenue from the Top of the Rock.

A nighttime view of the Chrysler Building from the Top of the Rock.

day 3: midtown manhattan

Since we were on an MUN trip, visiting the official headquarters of the United Nations was a top priority item on the agenda. We had bought tickets for an hour-long tour that would guide us through numerous committee chambers and educate us on how the UN works.

After the tour, we had the honor of meeting Caroline Ziade, the Deputy Ambassador of the Permanent Mission of Lebanon to the UN, for a briefing. She informed us on the current issues Lebanon is facing, including border control and landmines.

“Visiting the real United Nations reminded me that MUN isn’t about winning awards,” said junior Skyler Yang. “It’s about learning, being diplomatic and solving the world’s issues.”

The Security Council Chamber
photo by John Remmell — The Security Council Chamber photo by John Remmell

The General Assembly Hall
photo by John Remmell — The General Assembly Hall photo by John Remmell

After the briefing with Caroline Ziade, the Deputy Ambassador of the Permanent Mission of Lebanon to the UN.

The United Nations Headquarters
photo by John Remmell — The United Nations Headquarters photo by John Remmell

Next stop: Grand Central Station. The girls saw this as a perfect photo opportunity, as it was here that the first scene of the TV series Gossip Girl was filmed. The boys, on the other hand, just focused on getting some good food.

“My favourite part was that there were so many people there but they were all just regular citizens on their daily commute, like a place that we go to sightsee is part of so many people’s daily life,” said junior Taylor Poehlman. “We got weird looks for trying to remake Gossip Girl pictures but it was totally worth it. #spotted.”

Alana Mayes, Angela Kim, Amy Mohajer, Taylor Poehlman and Kristi Fecarotta

Even though one side of it was undergoing renovation, St. Patrick’s Cathedral did not fail to awe us. The grandeur of the architecture brought upon us a sense of peace and tranquility that was rare to experience in the hustle and bustle of New York City. We took our time as we embraced our faith and prayed to God.

The votive candles light up St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

Despite our blistered feet and sore legs, we could not miss the experience of skating at the Rockefeller Center.

“I’ve been ice-skating before at the Spectrum, but ice-skating in New York at the Rockefeller Center with all my friends isn’t something that I get to do often,” said junior Angela Kim.

Alex Estrada
photo by Skyler Yang — Alex Estrada photo by Skyler Yang

Angela Kim, Kristi Fecarotta and Amy Mohajer
photo by Skyler Yang — Angela Kim, Kristi Fecarotta and Amy Mohajer photo by Skyler Yang

Rockefeller Center
photo by Skyler Yang — Rockefeller Center photo by Skyler Yang

John Tanner
photo by Skyler Yang — John Tanner photo by Skyler Yang

Amy Mohajer, Kristi Fecarotta and Taylor Poehlman
photo by Skyler Yang — Amy Mohajer, Kristi Fecarotta and Taylor Poehlman photo by Skyler Yang

Taylor Poehlman, Angela Kim and Kristine Liao
photo by Skyler Yang — Taylor Poehlman, Angela Kim and Kristine Liao photo by Skyler Yang

Amy Mohajer and Jackson Davis
photo by Skyler Yang — Amy Mohajer and Jackson Davis photo by Skyler Yang

day 4: last day

Our final day in New York began with us boarding the subway to Columbia University in Upper Manhattan. Modelled after the Athenian agora, the campus reflects its Ivy League prestige, but doesn’t lose the flare that comes with being situated in New York City.

“Columbia has always been on my list of top schools, but after seeing the campus, it’s definitely my number one,” said junior Mackenzie Weil. “It’s just so beautiful, and getting to see the city around it allowed me to see what life would really be like as a student at here.”

The five boys gather on a bridge overlooking the streets of the college campus.

Kristi Fecarotta, Amy Mohajer and Taylor Poehlman look out at the busy streets of New York.

Kristi Fecarotta and Amy Mohajer pose in front of the Low Memorial Library.

Angela Kim, Skyler Yang and Alex Estrada pose by the Alma Mater.

All 13 juniors gather in front of the Low Memorial Library.
photo by John Remmell — All 13 juniors gather in front of the Low Memorial Library. photo by John Remmell

Amy Mohajer, Kristi Fecarotta and Taylor Poehlman pose at the podium inside the Low Memorial Library.

Once back in Midtown, we spent the rest of the day getting everywhere by foot. We visited the Nintendo World Store, Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), Sony Wonder Technology Lab and FAO Schwarz. Fortunately, the destinations were only a couple minutes walk from one another.

“It was really cool seeing a museum completely dedicated to abstract and modern art,” said junior Alex Estrada. “The most memorable had to be the Andy Warhol exhibit. It truly broadened my view and appreciation of art.”

Jackson Davis, Alana Mayes and Angela Kim take a moment to admire the paintings.

Jackson Davis walks into an exhibition in MoMA.

Strings of light form a circle on the ground.

Skyler Yang, Alana Mayes and Spencer Firestone sit against the wall of the café in MoMA.

Jackson Davis and Alana Mayes study the abstract art.

Visitors walk around a gallery admiring the art.

Angela Kim puts herself into the artwork.

After checking off all the indoor activities on our list, we headed for Central Park. It was a nice feeling to be in open space, surrounded by nature, and to not have to constantly worry about running into a person or car. As we continued on our stroll, we eventually came upon Gapstow Bridge, where Kevin first met the pigeon lady in ‘Home Alone 2: Lost in New York’.

The only event left for our time in New York was the 8 p.m. Lion King Broadway musical.

“It was really cool to see an actual Broadway musical, and I got to say, it lived up to all my expectations,” said junior Jackson Davis. “The cast was amazing and all the effects were really awesome. I thought the musical was almost better than the movie. I really enjoyed the scene where Mufasa says to Simba, ‘Remember who you are.’”

Mackenzie Weil, Angela Kim and Mackenzie Nienhuis
photo by Skyler Yang — Mackenzie Weil, Angela Kim and Mackenzie Nienhuis photo by Skyler Yang

The five boys with MUN Director and chaperone John Remmell

The girls get together in front of the cityscape from Central Park.
photo by Skyler Yang — The girls get together in front of the cityscape from Central Park. photo by Skyler Yang

Taylor Poehlman and Amy Mohajer
photo by Skyler Yang — Taylor Poehlman and Amy Mohajer photo by Skyler Yang

The eight girls with librarian and chaperone Jolene Finn.
photo by Skyler Yang — The eight girls with librarian and chaperone Jolene Finn. photo by Skyler Yang

Alex Estrada and Jackson Davis
photo by Skyler Yang — Alex Estrada and Jackson Davis photo by Skyler Yang

Day 5-8: yale

Gradually, the skyscrapers disappeared and the honks became silent. The bus ride to New Haven was dreadful, as each mile driven brought us closer to the reality of Yale MUN. Committee began at 9:30 p.m. the day we arrived on the Yale campus and continued on for the next three days.

But besides the long hours of committee, from Yale Day to the Delegate Dance, spending time on the beautiful Yale campus was a pleasure.

“My favourite memory of Yale was hands done the calzones,” said junior Alana Mayes. “We went to this pizza restaurant and they had the best calzones ever. I’ve never tasted an inside out pizza that was so good. I also enjoyed meeting people from all around the world — Latin America, Russia, Europe — it was amazing to be able to get a taste of those parts of the world in a short amount of time.”

Taylor Poehlman works with her caucus group to write a resolution paper.

Alana Mayes gives her speech on minority and refugee rights.

Amy Mohajer shares her country's policies with other delegates.

Amy Mohajer receives the 'Most Improved' award.

We meet up with SMCHS alumni Nicole Minkina ‘13 and Kishen Patel ‘11 for lunch.
photo by John Remmell — We meet up with SMCHS alumni Nicole Minkina ‘13 and Kishen Patel ‘11 for lunch. photo by John Remmell

Alana Mayes and Kristine Liao receive the 'Most Improved' award.

Skyler Yang listens intently as a speech is given.

Kristine Liao and Alana Mayes negotiate with their fellow delegates.

John Tanner types furiously to complete his caucus group's resolution paper on time.

On Saturday Jan. 24, our third day of committee, we woke up to a winter wonderland. Snow covered everything from trees to rooftops. (Un)Fortunately, we left the very next day and escaped the blizzard that would’ve kept us “stranded” on the East Coast for a couple more days.

“The East Coast is probably one of the coolest places on the planet,” said junior John Tanner. “But you don’t understand how grateful I was to feel the nice warm summer breeze of California after a week in a place where 34 degrees is the average high temperature.”

A student walks into the gates of a courtyard on campus.

Spencer Firestone walks to his committee on a snow day.

Write your story here. (Optional)

Goodbye, New Haven. Goodbye, New York City.

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