(Courtesy/Jake L.)
Columbus Academy’s Model UN delegates debated nuclear proliferation at the club’s fall CAMUN conference on Saturday, a warm-up before the team takes 40 students to Washington, D.C., for one of the most competitive conferences in the country.
Model UN, short for Model United Nations, assigns each student a country and asks them to represent that country’s point of view in debate.
“It’s a chance for students to think about how different countries have different perspectives on issues, and how those issues can be solved through compromise,” said Mr. Compton, the club’s advisor.
CAMUN is the club’s local weekend conference, meant mostly as practice for how Model UN works. This year’s topic was nuclear proliferation.
At the conference, delegates split into blocs of countries with similar positions and debated the issue. Each bloc then worked together to draft working papers laying out its proposed solutions.
Mr. Compton estimated that 30 to 40 students would take part. Because several other activities fell on the same Saturday morning, some delegates had to arrive late or leave early.
Later this school year, the team will travel to NAIMUN, the North American Invitational Model UN, hosted by Georgetown. Mr. Compton called it generally considered the most prestigious Model UN conference. About 3,500 students from around the world attend, and many of the teams are highly competitive.
Our club plans to bring 40 students, the maximum it is allowed. Mr. Compton said the trip lets students see how others approach Model UN and work alongside delegates from countries such as Italy, Japan, India, and France. “I think it’s a good experience to kind of branch out beyond the bubble of Academy,” he said.
Mr. Compton added that Model UN might spark students’ curiosity about international relations, or even help them choose a career where they can be “a part of the solution.”
The club is currently run by a student committee: William Whitson, Daniel Knutsen, Sujay Billakanty, Jake Lifer and Izu Nwoke. Mr. Compton said the club is already looking for leaders for next year.
His message to students considering it is simple: “There is a time commitment, but I think the reward is pretty substantial. I would just encourage folks to give it a shot.”
