Whiz Kids: Model United Nations Participants

Melrose Patch Whiz Kids of the Week: The 12 students who attended the Model UN conference at Bentley University in Waltham: seniors Rachel Follett, Sam Cardoso, Corinne Kelly; juniors Jamie Zajac, Sarah McDonald, Jessie Horne and Becca Cunniffe; sophomore Becca Kranz; freshmen Isabella O’Connell, Jack Eccles, Jack Steinberg and Ian Swan.  

• School: Melrose High School

• Accomplishment: Experienced and novice model United Nations participants proved outgoing at this training conference and received recognition for their abilities. 

From Margot Bauman, Social Studies Department

From March 23 to March 25, twelve Melrose High School students attended the Model UN conference at Bentley University in Waltham.  This Model UN was very different than Harvard.  There were only about sixty students present, and only two committees.  Therefore, each student represented a different country, and nine of the students were together in the Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) and three were together in the Security Council (UNSC).  In addition, Bentley considers its Model UN a training conference, rather than a competitive conference, so there were no “Best Delegate” gavels handed out.

We decided to attend the Bentley conference because the girls who went to Harvard had such a great experience that they didn’t want to wait until next year before going back.  Unfortunately, the timing of the conference was such that some of the Harvard veterans had to bow out of Bentley due to prior commitments.  However, this left space in our merry band for a number of rookies to come in and give Model UN a try.

All of the students were active participants in their committees, and reacted well to the curveballs thrown at them by the Bentley staff throughout the simulation.  The ECOSOC discussed the issues of agricultural subsidies and disaster relief. The UNSC faced the difficult issues of peace in Kashmir and torture.  I even got to play a small role, as a representative of the International Atomic Energy Agency sent to brief the UNSC on the history of nuclear weapons in South and East Asia and that history’s interaction with the triangular conflict and tension between China, India, and Pakistan. 

Of the four schools represented at the conference, Melrose was clearly the most outgoing. Our students made friends easily and were helpful to the students from elsewhere when the opportunity to explore Harvard Square was available.  I am certain that at least some of the connections made this past weekend will endure into the future. In the ECOSOC, although there were no awards, the committee chair did award superlatives. Three of our students won these: Isabella O’Connell was named “Most Humorous”; Rachel Follett was named “Most Logical”; and Corinne Kelly was named “Best Spokesperson for the Committee” (essentially, best delegate). Congratulations to all. The UNSC committee chair chose not to do superlatives, but I’m sure our delegates would have fared as well there. 

It is clear to me, after two conferences, that I have a lot yet to learn about advising Model UN (and Corinne is not going to be here next year to help!).  Still, there is both talent and interest here at the high school, and I very much enjoy sharing my affinity for international affairs with such dedicated students.  Next year, if we can raise enough funds to keep the costs reasonable, and if there is sufficient interest, I would very much like to expand the Model UN program to include Brown University’s MUN in the fall, Harvard in the winter, and (I admit this might be more dream than reality) a small and intense conference in Dublin, Ireland, in the spring, as a reward to the hardest-working and most dedicated members of the club. If you think your student might enjoy Model UN, and he or she is not already involved, there will be a general interest meeting in the next week or so to start plotting how we might accomplish even greater things next year. We would love to welcome him or her!

Nominate a Whiz Kid!

Melrose Patch wants suggestions from readers for individual kids, youth groups, teens, and even sports teams that wow us with their accomplishments. Submit your nomination by e-mailing danield@patch.com. Be sure to include all of the following information:

• Nominator's Name
• Nominator's E-Mail
• Whiz Kid's Name
• Whiz Kid's Age
• Whiz Kid's School
• Whiz Kid's Accomplishment
• An explanation of the accomplishment (approximately 150-300 words).
• A photo, if available.