USN Students Restart Tradition at YMCA Model UN
by Mackey Luffman
What did you do last weekend? While many of our students were earning dramatic, athletic and quiz-bowl accolades, a small but resolute group of USN students rode a bus to Murfreesboro on Friday to participate in the YMCA of Middle Tennessee's Model United Nations conference.
What did you do last weekend? While many of our students were earning dramatic, athletic and quiz-bowl accolades, a small but resolute group of USN students rode a bus to Murfreesboro on Friday to participate in the YMCA of Middle Tennessee's Model United Nations conference.
There they participated in activities that encouraged them to engage international issues at different levels and in different ways. USN students have made a tradition of excelling in these activities, and while last year only one USN student participated in this conference, this year's delegations returned USN firmly into the fold of schools to consider for international diplomacy.
In the General Assembly component, USN students represented Austria, Iran, and Jamaica as they debated resolutions that addressed a wide range of topics, from nuclear disarmament, the global financial crisis, and the treatment of mentally disabled children in developing countries. For their own resolution to address standards for environmentally sustainable development, the Jamaica delegation--junior Madi Hunt and freshmen Emily Davis and Alexandria Yu--won an Outstanding GA Resolution Award. For his efforts to engage his fellow delegates in debate on his and other resolutions, sophomore Isaac Gabella was nominated for an Outstanding Delegate award. Finally, serving as a Vice-President of the General Assembly, responsible for facilitating discussion and debate, was senior Justin Maffett, finishing off a remarkable career of participation in Model UN conferences.
In the General Assembly component, USN students represented Austria, Iran, and Jamaica as they debated resolutions that addressed a wide range of topics, from nuclear disarmament, the global financial crisis, and the treatment of mentally disabled children in developing countries. For their own resolution to address standards for environmentally sustainable development, the Jamaica delegation--junior Madi Hunt and freshmen Emily Davis and Alexandria Yu--won an Outstanding GA Resolution Award. For his efforts to engage his fellow delegates in debate on his and other resolutions, sophomore Isaac Gabella was nominated for an Outstanding Delegate award. Finally, serving as a Vice-President of the General Assembly, responsible for facilitating discussion and debate, was senior Justin Maffett, finishing off a remarkable career of participation in Model UN conferences.
In the International Court of Justice component, students prepare to represent the legal teams arguing for the adjudication of an international dispute. This year's case, which involved the government of Bosnia and Herzegovina accusing the former Yugoslavia of genocide against Bosnian Muslims, was an emotionally charged and difficult one that illustrated the complexities of international laws and jurisdictions. The USN lawyer team of sophomore Mira Wasserman and freshman Caroline Zhao earned two awards for their work in the ICJ: their written brief for the fomer Yugoslavia won the Best Counter-Memorial Award, while their appearance on behalf of the former Yugoslavia won the Best Oral Argument Award. To cap off their performances, both Wasserman and Zhao were elected by the other component members to serve as Justices on next year's ICJ.
Other USN students participating in the conference include members of the Austrian delegation, sophomores Case Nieboer and Alec Eskind, and the members of the Iranian delegation, freshmen Ben Kuhn, Sam May and Silas Wuerth. Serving as a lawyer team in the ICJ were freshmen Maurice Chiang and Chandler Floyd.
Please congratulate them for their efforts this weekend.
More USN News
List of 3 news stories.
-
The Green Team: Behind the Scenes of a Championship-Worthy Campus
Ahead of Spring Sports Night on Tuesday, April 21, get to know the staff who care for University School of Nashville's 81-acre River Campus.Read More -
Artclectic 2026 is looking for artists
The Artclectic application process has opened for any artists interested in sharing their work during the October 2026 show. Applications can be submitted using this link.Read More -
How USN’s Chinese program is building real-world fluency
High School Chinese Teacher Josephine Huang-Yeh’s unique approach is drawing national attention and helping students improve their Chinese skills.Read More
Contact
Edgehill Campus
2000 Edgehill Ave.
Nashville, TN 37212
Phone: 615-321-8000
Fax: 615-321-0889
Email: info@usn.org
River Campus
1200 County Hospital Road
Nashville, TN 37218
2000 Edgehill Ave.
Nashville, TN 37212
Phone: 615-321-8000
Fax: 615-321-0889
Email: info@usn.org
River Campus
1200 County Hospital Road
Nashville, TN 37218
USN Mission:
University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.
University School of Nashville models the best educational practices. In an environment that represents the cultural and ethnic composition of Metropolitan Nashville, USN fosters each student’s intellectual, artistic, and athletic potential, valuing and inspiring integrity, creative expression, a love of learning, and the pursuit of excellence.