The New Hyde Park Memorial High School Model United Nations club traveled to Washington, D.C. from March 18 to March 22 to attend the 28th annual Washington Area Model United Nations Conference (WAMUNC) hosted by George Washington University. Thirty students from grades 10-12 participated in the conference, guided by club adviser Mr. Novak and social studies teacher Dr. D’Orsogna.
“I thought being a chaperone was an excellent opportunity to see the city [Washington, D.C.], but I enjoyed the conference as well,” chaperone and social studies teacher Dr. D’Orsogna said. “Seeing the delegates grow both in and out of committee was a wonderful experience, and I would love to go on another trip with them again.”
There were a total of 16 unique committees in the conference, including International Bodies, Regional Bodies and Councils, Historic and Specialized Committees and Crisis Committees. Topics ranged from combatting the trade of illicit weapons, to managing sustainability issues at the Olympic Games, to creating a Rebel Alliance and battling the Empire in Star Wars. NHP was represented in all 16 committees and debated many pressing fictional and nonfictional global issues.
“I learned the most from committee in quickly adapting to rising problems, answering questions from the top of my head consistently and meeting new people every day and making meaningful connections. It is important to keep yourself aware of the principles of free will; it makes you evolve as an individual and step out of your comfort zone, making you prone to progress and adaptability,” junior Ismael El Mohtadi said.
The delegates received their topics during the winter break in mid- to late February and prepared for debate in the weeks leading up to the conference. Weekly meetings were held where delegates prepared and gave mock speeches in order to help them prepare for their committees. Many delegates managed WAMUNC prep alongside SAT exams, rehearsals for the school musical and other extracurricular activities, adding to the excitement when their hard work paid off at the conference.
“Balancing preparation for the school musical while simultaneously researching for WAMUNC was extremely challenging, but it was worth it in the end,” sophomore Bella Vyas said.
Outside of debate, the students explored the sights of Washington, D.C., visiting famous landmarks such as the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial. After long sessions of committee, many stopped by the famous Western Market, located only a few minutes from George Washington University’s campus. The delegates also received a tour of the Capitol and had the opportunity to meet Tom Suozzi, a representative of New York’s third congressional district.
“Outside of the committee, I was able to hang out with new people but also spend time with the lovely delegates from our club!” senior Dhara Patel said. “WAMUNC was such an incredible experience because of how much sightseeing and quality time there was. I was truly able to connect with the underclassmen, our advisers and my senior friends!”
Ten New Hyde Park delegates were recognized and received awards during the closing ceremony at the conference. The following delegates received awards for their performance throughout the five-day conference.
Best Delegate:
Senior Ariana Muhammad – Fiji, International Olympic Committee
Junior Nikita Bansal – Mr. Drummond, Severance
Outstanding Delegate:
Junior Bea Navarro – Ethiopia, Economic Council of West African States
Honorable Delegate:
Senior Liam Cavanagh – Chen Wenqing, Chinese Communist Party
Senior Shohom Chakraborty – Iran, BRICS
Junior Sania Naqvi – José Ramos Ishikawa, Supreme Council of the Katipunan
Juniors Jacob Boldur and Aditi Parikh – South Sudan, Disarmament and International Security Committee
Sophomores Vedant Patel and Bella Vyas – South Sudan, World Health Organization
“Overall, this conference taught our club an important lesson on complacency. I hope that all our students, no matter their grade, understand that we always want to keep pushing to be the best we can be and that there are always areas for us to improve,” Model UN adviser Mr. Novak said. “In addition, this conference was bittersweet while I had a blast being able to go to D.C. and see the Capitol, the Lincoln Memorial, and tour the Philippine Embassy – this was also the last conference for some of my favorite MUNNERS. Knowing that this was their last conference is something that is always difficult but particularly difficult with this group of seniors. I am so incredibly proud of them for the last four years, and I know that each and every one of them is going to succeed at the next chapter in their lives. I am so thankful that they took Model UN and stuck with it!”
