This is the first year that the Model UN club has been offered. Model UN is a scaled down, mock version of the United Nations. The club simulates committees where students have to represent the country they are assigned and work to solve problems they are given for their country.

Teacher leaders of the Model UN were history teachers John Pouchot Emile Cumpston.

“[Model UN] was started in an attempt to help our students better understand the world around them, to open their eyes to the issues that are currently affecting people outside of their country and comforts, and encourage them to think critically in an attempt to solve those problems,” Pouchot said.

The club teaches students how to apply a global world view to a specific topic area, such as rebellions and political affairs. Students have an assigned country, and they represent that country based off of its beliefs and values. It provides students with a broader viewpoint of the world, students can now view issues with a more global perspective.

“Model UN taught me a lot about the clockwork of global relations,” sophomore Watson Harvey said.  “I learned a lot about the way countries interact with each other and how to be an excellent diplomat. It really is a unique and challenging simulation of the theatre that is global politics. It was enjoyable learned to work with other delegations.”

Students began studying their countries at the beginning of the year. The students along with the teacher leaders would go to First Flight High School once a week to meet with the team there.  At these practices students would practice debate and work on their country’s positions.

This year, the school only had five students join the club. These Model UN students competed at Old Dominion University Feb. 16. The Model UN sessions were managed by a panel of people called the Dias, led by the Chair. The longest session was four hours long.

“Attending the ODU Model UN was nerve wracking at first but amazing towards the end, I learned so many life lessons during the conference,” sophomore Katherinne Rabanal said.  “It has become one of the best experiences this school year and I can’t wait to do it next year.”

Model UN will start back up in the Fall of 2017. The hope for next year is that many other students will think to join this club that will allow them to learn information that they may not have previously known.