Ten ARHS students recently got some practice in saving the world as they participated in Dartmouth College’s Model UN Conference over the weekend of April 3, 4 and 5. Joining more than 200 students from 17 other New England schools, the ARHS delegation learned about global issues ranging from deforestaton to trade tariffs.
During four lengthy and intensive committee sessions, the students gave speeches, negotiated solutions in caucus and wrote resolutions to be voted on by the committee. By the end of the weekend, seven of our ten students won individual awards on their committees and the delegation as a whole was named Best Overall Delegation. Club advisor Stacy Foulis witnessed the students’ efforts firsthand at the conference. "Every time I walked into one of the conference rooms, I saw an ARHS student either speaking or raising their placard in order to be the next speaker," Foulis reported. "They actively participated in their committee sessions, defending their country’s positions right to the end." Principal Mark Jackson acknowledged the significance of the students’ accomplishments. "It’s important for the school to take advantage of all opportunities for increasing students’ global awareness," Jackson said. "They must learn to recognize the interdependencies of the 21st century."
Preparing for the conference requires much more than brushing up on parliamentary procedure. The conference’s Delegate Guide advises participants that "You aren’t just here to role-play a country’s opinion and interests for a weekend; you’re here to learn about the international system and how the art of diplomacy is exercised. In order to do that, you are going to have to be well versed in your topics, which requires research."
The research begins months before the conference meets. Students are assigned to a committee and given a country to represent on that committee. They receive background guides about two particular topics that will be taken up by the committee. The students use the background guides to do additional research and then they prepare position papers to bring to the conference.
Senior Diane Rubin has attended many Model UN conferences and represented countries from multiple continents, including Burma, Switzerland, Zimbabwe, Spain, and Japan. Representing Burma was especially challenging for her because she had to advocate a position that she was personally opposed to. The topic for her committee was the crisis in Burma and "while most countries were pushing for humanitarian aid, we had to object to any form of help being sent into the country." Rubin points out that the simulation experience is "only interesting if everyone can stick to their country’s views." Rubin served as Co-President of the ARHS Model UN Club during the 2008-2009 academic year, along with Thu Do.
Senior Simone Noonan represented Japan at the Dartmouth Model UN Conference, where she was a member of the UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) committee and won an award as Best Delegate on that committee. The committee looked at at the topic of rising food prices and also at the topic of climate change and poverty. She joined Model UN because she is interested in international diplomacy, possibly as a career. Like Rubin, she has represented many different countries and learned about a wide variety of global issues. She likes attending conferences where she hears "very different opinions than the ones you usually hear living in Amherst." She remembers one particularly heated debate where she vigorously defended her country’s interests. "I definitely learned to stand my ground," Noonan reports.
Rubin is not considering a career in diplomacy, but sees a broader benefit from her participation in Model UN conferences. She appreciates the improvement in her ability to speak persuasively, and notes that conforming to time limits during debate has forced her to learn brevity and clarity. Moreover, the conferences hold an excitement for her and she encourages other students to get involved in what she calls a "very gratifying experience." Noonan echoes the sentiment and describes Model UN a "one of the best activities I have participated in in high school."
Here is a list of the members of the ARHS delegation to the Dartmouth Conference, with their committee assignments:
Simone Noonan, United Nations Development Programme; Best Delegate
Sammy Floyd, United Nations Children’s Fund; Best Delegate
Shirin Hakim, World Health Organization
Nick Mone, Security Council
Lauren Eddings, United Nations Development Programme
Thu Do, Crisis Cabinet
Jeremy Aronson, United Nations Environment Program
Laura Woodbridge, Press Corps
Diane Rubin, Special Political and Decolonization Committee
Dylan Kaye, International Court of Justice