On Thursday, December 12th, and Friday the 13th, the Ramapo and Indian Hills Model United Nations club met to compete at the second annual POMUN Conference.
Before the conference, delegates were assigned countries and tasked with preparing individualized essays explaining and defending their countries’ proposed solutions to global crises. Once the chief administration officer of the conference, the secretary-general, struck the desk with her gavel, delegates dispersed into rooms to compete. Average classrooms had been transformed into mock UN boardrooms, setting the stage with a seat at the table for each member state. The committee was now in session!
Delegates debated world issues, fostered collaboration within the international community, and presented formal resolutions to their committee chairs. The skilled students demonstrated expertise in public speaking, communication skills, presentation, and creative problem-solving.
Experienced Model United Nations students rose to the occasion and displayed their expertise as members of the Dias. The Dias is composed of students who served as committee chairs, assistant chairs, and event organization board members. The chairs at a Model United Nations conference are similar to judges: they manage the committee, guide delegates in the resolution-making process, read through and judge each delegate’s position papers, and ultimately select delegates for awards. The Indian Hill’s Model United Nations co-presidents Gabrielle Becker and Isabella Manias, along with club member Julia Coppo, all participated in the Dias.
Although Dias members varied between the two schools and across grade levels, they succeeded in orchestrating a great conference. These students served as mentors, applying their expertise while judging committees and guiding delegates throughout the resolution-building process.
First-time assistant chair and junior from Ramapo High School, Ava L’heureux, collaborated with fellow chairs, Julia Coppo and Sarah Taouafe on the World Health Organization section of the conference. In this section, delegates debated global access to vaccines. L’heureux explained that the conference was more than just another academic competition, and how “After being tied to the computer screen throughout middle school, I couldn’t fully appreciate the community and complexity that was Model United Nations. At POMUN, I got to meet new people, enjoy great food, and appreciate the aspiring atmosphere that filled each committee room, especially WHO.”
Similarly, Mr. Verdon, the Model United Nations advisor from Ramapo, expressed his gratitude to the delegates: “To say that I was impressed, would be a massive understatement. The professionalism that they all carried themselves with was awesome to see. Likewise, getting to see them all joking and laughing with each other in between committee sessions is what Model UN is all about.”
Indian Hills Model United Nations students left the conference with great memories and several awards. From the WHO committee, Madelyn Kincel, representing Israel, won Outstanding Delegate, and Abigail Chon, representing Portugal, won runner-up in her committee and Best Position Paper Overall. From the Social, Humanitarian & Cultural Issues (SOCHUM) committee, Connor Davis and Daniel Stolper, representing Peru, both won Outstanding Delegate. From the Disarmament and International Security Committee (DISEC), Murad Avanesyan, representing South Africa, won Runner-up, and Emma Graffanino, representing Venezuela, won overall Second Best Position Paper.
Indian Hills and Ramapo Model United Nations delegates are now preparing for their upcoming conference: Altitude Model United Nations (AMUN), at Bergen County Academies on February 6th and 7th. President Becker is confident that “Our delegates will be just as successful, if not more”.
