|
Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...
|
Over 250 middle and high school "delegates" convened at Sequoia High School Saturday for the second annual Bay Area Model United Nations Conference. Students from over thirty Model United Nations clubs around the Bay Area showed up bright and early for the all-day conference to act as different countries, participating in debates about sustainable agriculture, human trafficking and the French Revolution.
Sequoia High School seniors and twin brothers Christopher and Nicholas Kwok founded the conference after four years of involvement with the high school's Model UN club. They collaborated with Amador Valley High School in Pleasanton to put on the event, which is now in its second year. Through Model UN, the twins have built an impressive resume before even starting college—winning prestigious awards and debating foreign policy with students across the globe. But according to Christopher Kwok, his greatest achievement from Model UN is the array of life skills he'll take away from the program.
"I really believe MUN shapes people to become not only intellectual and a confident speaker but also become a person that can connect well with other people," said Christopher Kwok. "My brother and I have met delegates from all around the world and made lifelong friends."
Like at other Model UN Conferences, delegates must conduct research and write "position papers" ahead of the event to defend their stance on one of many different issues. At the end of the conference, delegates vote on written policies to draft resolutions to those issues with the common goal of passing them with a majority vote. The tradition of Model UN predates the United Nations itself— it was common for students in the 1920s to simulate the League of Nations with the goal of fostering diplomacy skills through a quasi-academic process.
Many students at the Bay Area Model UN Conference highlighted the history camaraderie as their favorite part of Model UN. Ishmeet Dhillon, an Amador Valley High School junior, serves as co-president for Amador Valley's Model UN club and helped organize the event. Until last year, her school's model UN club only had about five regular members, but this year, over forty Amador Valley students attended the conference. She noted that Model UN is useful for all students, whether they want to study foreign policy, know more about current events or simply gain experience in public speaking.
"Model UN is how I built my confidence," said Dhillon. "The conference deals with a lot of issues. We have a wide variety of topics that people can choose from. That's the beauty of Model UN. You can find something that fits your interests at every conference."
Redwood City Mayor Jeff Gee gave remarks at the opening ceremony. Last year, the Redwood City council lowered the age requirement to serve on Redwood City boards and commissions to 16. Gee told the Pulse it's important to hear young people in Redwood City.
"We have a whole generation that's growing up who often don't even have an opportunity to share their perspectives," said Gee. "[Model UN] teaches our young people how to work together, listen and understand history and culture. They may be talking about specific topics today but these skills of listening, communicating, collaborating problem-solving are life skills they can learn today and keep forever."
In the spirit of listening and learning from others, students had the option to attend a "delegate workshop" at lunchtime and hear from Model UN alumni Shrinidhy Srinivas, who is now a third-year undergraduate student at UCLA majoring in Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics and minoring in Global Health. In the future, Shrinidhy hopes to work in pediatric surgery, healthcare policy and international volunteer work.
"It can be a very daunting thing to be able to present your ideas. As a minority, it can be even more difficult especially when you are in a group of people who may not value your opinion as much just because of who you are," said Srinivas. "While it may not always be easy, gaining confidence as a speaker, a leader and a writer is something that will take you very far."
The Bay Area Model United Nations Conference is set to take place at Amador Valley High School in Pleasanton next year. For more information or to get involved, visit https://www.bayareamunc.org/.
