Over the course of three days, 19 Ocean Lakes students competed in the Model United Nations conference hosted by the University of Virginia on Nov. 15 and 16.
943 student delegates from 60 high schools across the region came together for a weekend full of diverse debate.
“The whole conference was about having to communicate with other countries to solve an issue, and when you didn’t necessarily agree, you had to find a way to get multiple parties on the same page,” junior Phoenix St. James said.
Between debate sessions, delegates navigated fast-paced committees, built alliances with other groups and adapted to constantly changing resolutions for a better outcome.
“Working in double delegates is the most common when at a conference. This year, out of 19 students, 11 were single delegates, which makes the level of competition higher,” club sponsor and AP Government teacher Lisa Gibson said.
The experience pushed these students to think critically under pressure and collaborate with unfamiliar peers.
“I did hours of prep researching my given position on two topics: representation and empowerment for Native Hawaiians and [also] historical monarchy and modern democracy,” junior Esther Gammill said.
Leading up to the conference, students planned two fundraisers: friendship bracelets and a car wash on Dec. 1.
The team left the conference with two awards given to junior Mihika Sakharpe and senior Ami Badiye for winning verbal commendations in their committees.
“Overall, it was a great learning experience since it was my first real Model UN conference. I improved my public speaking skills and learned what makes an effective speech by watching my peers,” Esther said.
