Students in Model UN Teams Excel at Conference Events

Simulation: “The imitation by one system or process of the way in which another system or process works.”

That dictionary definition captures exactly the spirit of two educational ventures which Watchung Hills Regional High School students may enter into during their school year. Both “imitate” another process; that is, the legislative process. 

The Model United Nations, which took place in Philadelphia, and the Junior Statesmen of America, convening in Washington, D.C., afforded social studies students the opportunity to debate pressing issues in the world today. In so doing, they not only had the opportunity to study in depth  specific issues and problems which had been submitted to them beforehand for study, but also to fine-tune their skills in communication, leadership, writing, problem-solving and public speaking, according to Watchung Hills’ Model United Nations advisors, Greg and Lauren Krueger.

The Philadelphia Model U.N. Conference is a semi-annual learning experience   which enrolls students from the Northeast United States as well as international students. It is sponsored by the Institute for Domestic & International Affairs, an organization dedicated to educating students on geographical and political issues.

The three-day, late February gathering is staffed by Rutgers University students, who prepare topic briefs, facilitate debate, answer questions, provide encouragement and knowledge needed by the student committees as they study, discus and debate assigned issues. This year, PhilMUN focused on the growth and development in the presence of debt of South America and the Caribbean. 

Fourteen delegates from among the 400 attendees were from Watchung Hills. All attendees were assigned to countries as well as committees before they arrived, and were expected to put in many hours of research on the assigned topics.

Long Hill resident Seneca Velling, for example, was a participant in one of three advanced special committees which weighed the sovereign development crisis and disbursement of international flexible credit. His efforts earned him a “Best Delegate” recognition. 

Neha Agrawal, Watchung resident, earned the award for “Best Delegate” in the Historic 1980 Pinochet Presidential Cabinet Advanced Committee. Going beyond the normal committee activities, Agrawal’s committee was faced with a midnight crisis and debated through the night to prepare for its presentation.

Agrawal, Cathy Higgins and Josh van der Kroft, Patrick Sullivan and Cory Fitzgerald all earned similar “outstanding delegate” commendations for superior participation in their discussion areas. The delegation was awarded a trophy, as well, for “Best Small School” at PHILMUN 2013.

Over the  same time period (President’s Weekend), a similar group of ninth to 12th-graders participated in the Junior Statesman Winter Congress, held in Washington, D.C. Twenty-three Watchung Hills students, under the guidance of advisor Greg O’Reilly, were among some 1,000 youth from the Middle Atlantic States who took part in a basically student-run assembly. Program planning and the various events were largely student-led, under the direction of Elizabeth Ventura, a professional, adult supervisor.

The Junior Statesman’s mission parallels in many ways that of the United States Congress: to draw up, discuss, pass or reject bills proposed by the young, self-appointed “legislators”—freshmen through seniors in high school. Some 250 bills were authored by the young legislators, of which 93 were accepted for discussion on the floor.

And of this number, 23 were passed during the weekend—two of which had been submitted by the Watchung Hills delegates. One had dealt with FEMA reform, the other with developing a high-speed railroad system.

Why would high school students, who could be out skiing, or, at any rate, sleeping late on a winter-holiday weekend, spend hours of preparation, and then hours of discussion on political/historical issues? Junior Brian Stickler, who has attended Junior Statesman conferences since his freshman year, says it is just about the most exciting thing he can do; he plans to take part as long as he is eligible.