In the early morning of March 6, the Model UN team left for New York City to compete in the National High School Model United Nations (NHSMUN) conference. Qualifying for NHSMUN carries a huge amount of prestige, but the Model UN team is optimistic that their debates on the national stage will win them something more tangible.
The day before the trip, both nerves and hopes were running high. The pressure associated with such a unique opportunity was intense, and the myriad of ways things could go wrong caused stress for some of the team members. Edward (12) expressed fear about being placed in a larger committee than he is comfortable with, limiting his ability to participate in the competition, but he—along with most of his teammates—was still “very much looking forward to it.”
Despite the pressure, the predominant feeling among the Model UN team was excitement. The ability to travel was especially intriguing to Thilo (11), which was also what the sponsor for the Model UN team, Dr. Casey, was most looking forward to. She emphasized that the actual competition was only one part of the trip, and the chance to spend a weekend in “The City That Never Sleeps” is part of what makes NHSMUN such a “huge life experience.”. While at the competition, the Model UN team will be able to tour the United Nations Embassy and visit the Stock Exchange.
Model UN competitions resemble a “sitting of Parliament,” according to Edward. They take the form of a conference where each person is assigned a country to represent for a “certain committee of the United Nations,” as described by Morgan (10), and is tasked with representing that country’s best interests while working with their committee to solve international problems, usually by debating a specific topic of policy. The goal is for each member to propose a policy to the committee and put it to a vote.
Model UN is an opportunity to learn about and engage in international issues. Edward joined because he liked the idea of “being in a place to talk about issues like an actual lawmaker in Congress.”. Similarly, Morgan became a member because of her love of social studies and international politics. Since joining, she has met more people who share her love of these subjects and learned so much about the “world we live in today.” Edward and Morgan both exemplify the type of students who excel in Model UN.
According to Dr. Casey, every single member of the team is passionate about public speaking, dedicated, a team-player, and invested in the success of the team. Dr. Casey decided to sponsor Model UN after her daughter joined the club in 2021. Her daughter’s experience at Model UN was incredibly fun and fulfilling, largely due to the community of hard-working and like-minded team members.
The Model UN team is holding themselves to high standards for NHSMUN. Both Thilo and Edward hope to win awards, both individually and as a team. Dr. Casey agreed, describing the team as the “top team in Georgia,” fully capable of meeting and exceeding her high expectations.
NHSMUN will last the whole weekend, and with the dedication and enthusiasm of every single member of the team, these next few days will be the experience of a lifetime for the Model UN team.
