Sitting in the Hilton International ballroom in Washington D.C., the eight Mercy Model United Nations delegates watched as over 200 Chinese delegates walked silently out of the ballroom. Seth Bergeman, a representative from the organization Freedom House, was mid-sentence condemning the Chinese government for denying their citizens freedom. For many of international guests, The North American Model United Nations conference in Washington D.C. marked their first time outside of their country’s borders.

For the Mercy delegates at NAIMUN from February 14th-17th, this unexpected outburst served to reaffirm their passion for International Affairs. Accusations about their leaders provoked the Chinese delegates. Some cried. Others were angry. During the Question and Answer period after the speech a Chinese attendee walked up to the microphone and demanded to know where Bergeman got his information. This provided a heated and unprecedented opening to NAIMUN.