photo credit: Malak Chahboub
Model United Nations is a common club among middle and high schools across the country. In this club, students role play as United Nations delegates from various countries in the real United Nations.
Orange’s Model UN club works alongside all of Olentangy’s middle and high schools and holds a collaborative summit every January. At the summit, students present solutions to problems their countries face along with other mock-United Nations activities.
This year the summit took place over three days from Jan. 18-20 and was held at Quest Conference Center.
Junior Aiden Tang was an officer this year with the role of Berkshire Middle School.
“I mentored students at Berkshire Middle School and prepared them for the summit. This opened my eyes to the possibilities of public speaking and the magic of teamwork,” Tang said.
Senior Teja Mamidala was a delegate representing Qatar this year.
“Model UN allows me to sharpen my public speaking, critical thinking and collaboration skills while tackling global issues. I enjoy debating complex topics and learning different perspectives from peers. It’s a great platform to grow as a leader and develop a deeper understanding of international affairs,” Mamidala said.
Social studies teacher Kevin Haynes started as an adviser for Model UN last year and this year has stepped into the primary adviser position for the whole district. Haynes advised all club meetings as well as the summit.
“My favorite part was seeing students hanging out together, working on problems, sharing the work they created over a few months and having fun with their friends in an off-site school setting. I also loved seeing the work that the GA staff and officers come together into an awesome summit,” Haynes said.
Mamidala has been in Model UN for four years and has attended all four summits.
“This summit had a more engaging and interactive atmosphere, thanks to well-structured debates and supportive chairs. The diversity of ideas from delegates this year stood out. It truly felt like a collaborative and inclusive learning environment,” Mamidala said.
Not many clubs at the high school are collaborative with other middle and high schools within the district.
“This club is the only club who can bring together a district so tightly knit together and is a great way for students to meet other students. There have been so many people who I have met through Model UN that I would not have known at all whatsoever, especially those from Olentangy, Liberty and Berlin,” Tang said.
Model UN has an exciting summit every year, but it also teaches students valuable lessons they can use outside of the club.
“Model UN fosters a sense of global awareness and empathy within students. It inspires future leaders to think critically about real-world problems and propose actionable solutions. This impact extends beyond the summit, as students bring these skills into their communities,” Mamidala said.
As a teacher at the high school, Haynes is able to observe some of the skills the students in Model UN are sharpening in the club.
“Model UN is for any students who would like to improve their research skills, speaking skills and those who are curious about the world and how the United Nations runs. It is an amazing club, which culminates in an awesome and engaging summit,” Haynes said.
Recently, Olentangy’s chapter of Model UN has denied invitations from the Dublin and Ohio chapters to combine forces.
“We chose to deny offers for outside Summits due to where the club is at. We’re in the middle of a transition period and immense growth for the club. We decided to first prioritize our Olentangy Summit, and that we would pursue sending students out of Olentangy in future years,” Sophomore General Assembly Secretary Nathan Hariths said.
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