This Is Why We CAN Have Nice Things: Model UN Conference

Mackey Luffman
by Mackey Luffman, Model UN sponsor

Autumn brings turning leaves, both on the trees in the Edgehill neighborhood and in the books students read to learn about the world we inhabit. At USN, we put that reading to use by offering our HS students the opportunity to participate in two Model UN conferences during the fall semester. This year’s conferences have passed now, as leaves fall from trees, but the memories of their beauty and the brilliance of the moment linger with the students as formative events. Allow me to elaborate.
Two weeks ago, eight USN high schoolers crossed the street to attend the tenth annual Vanderbilt Model United Nations conference (aka VUMUNX). Vandy’s students organize and facilitate this conference, so in addition to the traditional Model UN organs, like the Security Council and the SOCHUM committee, the student delegates can participate in simulations of other international diplomatic organizations, like the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the Organization of American States (OAS). Vandy’s conference is also known for its more creative simulations, which included a United States Senate, a Hunger Games government simulation, and a “Bond meets Bourne” simulation which invited students to combine the worlds of fictional spy thrillers with the difficulties facing real-world intelligence agencies.
 
This year’s conference at Vanderbilt was its biggest to date, with more than 400 students from around the country (and Canada!) participating. While the USN students stood out in their respective committees, particularly Case Nieboer ’14 and Caroline Zhao ’15, none of our students brought home any of the coveted awards. Many of our students ‘caught the bug’ of Model UN and came away with a desire to return and succeed at future conferences.

One weekend later, twenty-four USN students traveled to Murfreesboro to participate in the Model UN conference sponsored by the YMCA of Middle Tennessee’s Center for Civic Engagement. This conference has been a formational experience for USN students with international interests, and as a school USN has a long tradition of participation and excellence at the conference. This year would see that tradition continue in fine style.

From the outset, USN students were visible in the conference’s student leadership. Emily Davis ’15 served as a Vice-President of the General Assembly, moderating debate and facilitating the business of the Assembly and its committees. All the student justices sitting on the International Court of Justice (ICJ) were USN students: Mira Wasserman ’14, President; Maurice Chiang ’15, Chandler Floyd ’15, Caroline Zhao and Neil Zheng ’15.

In the General Assembly, students present prepared resolutions to address international issues and debate each other’s resolutions. Alexandria Yu ’15, representing the Solomon Islands, and Youssef Doss ’16, representing Liechtenstein, earned Outstanding Delegate Awards for their efforts and participation in debate. Sam Fisher ’16, representing Canada, was nominated for an Outstanding Delegate Award.

Other students participating in the General Assembly included Kevin Chen ’16 (Solomon Islands), Sydney Robbins ’16 and Jacob Snyder ’16 (Canada), Fred Crumbo ’16, Bradford Johnson ’16 and Mitchell Coverstone ’16 (Liechtenstein), and Kate Carpenter ’16, Starina D’Souza ’16, Sydney Weinger ’16 and Maggie Young ’16 (Singapore).

In the Security Council, Isaac Gabella ’14, representing the UK, won the Outstanding Security Council Delegate award for the second year in a row, a feat only duplicated by legendary candidate Ben Shaffer '05. Case Nieboer ’14 also served in the Security Council, representing Azerbaijan, and played an instrumental role in crafting the compromise that broke diplomatic gridlock which had been preventing the Security Council from addressing its agenda.

In the ICJ, Sam May ’15 and Nishant Upender ’15 formed a lawyer team and argued a border dispute between Botswana and Namibia before the student justices. Their success in a series of rounds led them to qualify for the ‘lightning round,” the last round of arguments on a different case which would determine the Best Lawyer team. In a repeat of the previous years’ performance by Wasserman and Zhao, May and Upender won the Best Lawyer Team award for the strength of their oral arguments.

The icing on the cake of this conference’s successes was the results of the elections in which the student delegates select the student leaders for next year’s conference. Alexandria Yu was elected to serve as a General Assembly Vice President, while Zhao was elected to be President of the ICJ. Chiang, Floyd, and Zheng were re-elected as Justices on the ICJ, and Upender was elected to be the ICJ Liason responsible for coordinating the work between the ICJ and the other components of the conference. These victories are the latest in a long tradition of USN students being recognized for their leadership qualities by their peers from other schools around the state.

Please congratulate these students for their accomplishments, and look for announcements soon about the spring Youth in Government conference, a simulation of Tennessee’s state government.
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