The first Model United Nations conference of the year took place on Saturday at the International Leadership of Texas Garland High School with students getting the chance to meet and debate with delegates from the Dallas area. 

“Model UN has two objectives. The first is character development so it teaches students to be leaders in their community and in the world using the values of respect and responsibility,” Model UN sponsor Sarah Wiseman said. “The other thing that students are supposed to learn from Model UN is global awareness and key issues, for example, human trafficking and economic stimulus in Africa. Students work together to write resolutions in an attempt to solve these issues.”

To get ready for Saturday’s conference, Model UN members prepared for weeks to debate and attend this regional conference.

“The students have been putting an intensive amount of time preparing for the competition,” junior Gurnoor Narula said. “All of our delegates have been researching their countries and their stances on each issue going into conference and have also brainstormed if not planned specific resolutions, alliances, partnerships, and speaking points with other nations in committee.”

For students attending their first Model UN conference, Saturday was an opportunity to gain knowledge on how everything works and as well as improve their public speaking and teamwork.

“It’s been pretty fun. I think I’m doing ok right now. It’s been nice to do this practice round and learning how the competition actually works,” award-winning freshman Vishnu Vasudev. “It’s really different than doing it in the meetings cause now it’s the real thing. I think I want to speak a bit more because a lot of other people are speaking.”

Although Saturday’s conference was practice for some, it meant awards for sophomores Anikha Guda, Isra Mohammed, Madhuran Selvaa, Hamsa Madhira, Annie Teng, and freshmen Vishnu Vasudev and Arshia Narula.

“Students did really well at Model UN regionals. Several of them were named as honorable, and outstanding delegates and Arshia Narula was named as the best delegate of her committee,” Wiseman said. “We also got to see three of our students step up and take leadership roles at the conference. Trisha Dasgupta and Gurnoor Narula were committee chairs. All of the adult staff and advisors were buzzing about how amazing they were doing at building consensus in their rooms. Sam Mills was the Under Secretary of Conference which means that he worked with a group of students to put on the whole conference which is very impressive.”