Two Communications HS Students Honored at YMCA Model UN

Communications High School juniors Cassidy DeStefano and Margaret Svikhart were recently honored at the YMCA Model UN Conference in Hershey, PA for their journalistic achievements.

Cassidy was elected to serve as editor-in-chief of the Model UN press corps and Margaret was appointed editor-in-chief of the video press corps. Both were presented with the Premier Diplomat Award.

Cassidy and Margaret were among 259 local high school and middle school delegates representing The Community YMCA at the Model UN Conference. In all, 1,500 student delegates attended from New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware.

“We are so proud to have so many high school and middle school students representing The Community YMCA, and receiving prestigious recognition,” said Rhonda Anderson, The Community YMCA’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “I am impressed by the intelligence, compassion, and dedication of all our students.”

The conference was led by Model UN Secretary General Aidan Byrnes, a student at Red Bank Catholic High School. Jack Chu of Holmdel was elected to lead the 2015 YMCA Model UN program. As Secretary General, Jack will be responsible for organizing the 5-state conference, meeting with committee chairs, planning the conference theme, and choosing topics of international importance for the delegates to debate.

Both Cassidy and Jack were invited to the highly selective Conference on National Affairs (CONA), which is an invitation-only event held annually in North Carolina that allows students from across the country to come together to debate and discuss issues that affect our nation.

The goal of the Model UN Program is to create informed students who feel empowered to engender change in their local communities and the world at large. The program attracts students who are proactive and engaged and helps them see how they can reach their potential and begin to improve the world around them, regardless of their age. This year’s conference theme, equal opportunity, was reinforced throughout the weekend.

The Community YMCA Delegation was comprised of 15 local schools, including: Communications High School, Wall Intermediate School, Red Bank Catholic High School, Red Bank Regional High School, Holmdel High School, Middletown High School North, Middletown High School South, Mater Dei High School, Maple Place Middle School, Saint James School, Satz Middle School, Shrewsbury Borough Middle School, Bayshore Middle School, Thompson Middle School, and Thorne Middle School. High school students attended the conference from Jan. 10-12, and middle school students attended from Jan. 17-19.

Students spent their time simulating the duties of United Nations Ambassadors by writing, presenting, and debating resolutions to address issues of international importance, such as global demilitarization, alternative energy, and oppressive government regimes.

The middle school conference focuses on the General Assembly and International Criminal Court in a modified format that allows middle school students to sample these two separate committees. Through experiential learning, the students acquired new skills in diplomacy, public speaking, critical thinking, and problem solving.

The YMCA Model UN Conference differs from other Model UN programs in that it is focused on fostering character development in young people. Part of that mission is accomplished by giving high school students the authority to run the conference themselves as the officers of their committees to achieve the goal of developing future global leaders.