Are you interested in becoming a delegate to the United Nations, and learning about world affairs? What about debating students from around the country on topics of foreign policy? Then the model UN is right for you.

Model UN began in the 1920’s with student-led simulations for the former League of Nations. The first official conference was held at St. Lawrence University in 1949 and it included delegates from many regional universities. Today Model UN looks pretty similar, with students from around the country debating each other about their respective country. Members are placed on teams and assigned a nation to represent at a mock United Nations conference. It is a great way to improve your public speaking, leadership, communication, and debate skills.

I interviewed Model UN veteran, senior Hannah Lester, who has been a member for two years now. She spoke about what made her decide to join MUN last year, “I wanted to learn more about international politics and global issues…I enjoy it [MUN]  because I’m a big fan of world politics and I think we should all try and learn more about the world we live in. It’s a great way to expand your knowledge about world affairs, and it looks great for college applications.”

“It was a little scary when I first joined because I didn’t know what to expect, but it has been a really great experience!” Lester is looking forward to this year because of the new changes that the club is making, “I’m really excited because we have a ton of new members and are trying to make changes, that make the club more of a community”

Model UN began in October and will hold meetings once or twice a month. If you’re interested but haven’t joined yet don’t worry, there’s still time to join. Go in and talk to Mr. Eby, but hurry before it’s too late.