UNITED: Model UN brings international community to students

April 23, 2008 01:52 pm

— 080403 newfane pride/pride
DAN CAPPELLAZZO/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
SPEAKER: President of the Newfane High Model United Nations club, Mike Lanighan, left, address fellow students of the club. The Model UN students particpate in mock UN conferences representing different nations of the world.

Model United Nations
• SCHOOL: Newfane High School
• ADVISER: William Crago
• WHAT THEY’RE ABOUT: Students who particpate in mock UN conferences representing different countries around the world
• NOTEWORTHY: Four students went to The Hague in the Netherlands, club has won numerous awards for their particpation

NEWFANE — Imagine having to take a point of view you might not agree with, but have to debate in favor of. Or maybe even a point of view you’ve never heard of.
Students in Newfane High School’s Model United Nations club have had both experiences. The Model UN allows students to participate in a simulated United Nations conference, educating them about civics and diplomacy. Students have to research a country and advocate in favor of certain issues as that country would in real life.
“It’s learning about the world,” said Mike Lanighan, president of the Newfane Model UN. “It gives you a broad perspective. You take the role of a country, write resolutions, and talk about conflicts in the world and debate with other teams representing other countries.”
Newfane has had to debate from the point of view of Russia, Germany, China, France, Ireland, Argentina, Syria and Uzbekistan to name a few. The group has done very well in the past year, bringing home a number of awards at model conferences at the University at Buffalo and Cansius College. There are about 30 schools who participate.
Teams have to write resolutions, make amendments and debate with other teams representing other countries. Their goal is whatever theyíre countryís goal is, and issues such as AIDS, the war in Iraq, Darfur, human trafficking and nuclear weapons have been discussed. Resolutions go through changes, some more than others, and teams want theirs to be passed with as many as possible in the interest of their country.
Each of the model conferences has a number of committees. These include the Political and Security committee, a Special Political committee that deals with special “high stakes” cases, an Economic and Finance and a Social, Cultural and Humanitarian committee. There are also three ad-hoc committees for Political and Security, Special Political and the Social, Cultural and Humanitarian committee.
Newfane teacher William Crago is the adviser for the Model UN. He said the club has won awards at both conferences, including ones for writing the best resolutions. Award winners have come at all ages for Newfane.
“Weíve had a winner at each grade level in high school,” he said. “Each of them was a winner at something, even though they compete with private and larger schools.”
Junior Ron Malone won awards for resolution writing, one in particular about water.
“It will certainly become an issue,” Lanighan said.
Newfane also had a resolution involving the division of the Artic Circle. The resolution went through a lot of changes, but was passed.
Regardless of how they may personally feel about an issue in the world today, Model UN students canít let that affect them. Teams are expected to hold the position and point of view of the country they are representing, which can be difficult at times. But it can also be exciting if nobody has heard of your country.
“It’s fun to be an unknown country,” Bri Graham said.
Four Newfane students went to The Hague in the Netherlands in January as part of the international Model UN program. Seniors David Nasca, Jessica Lavocat and Haylee Ferington and Malone, were representatives at The Hague International Model United Nations. Ferington said going to The Hague was an amazing experience.
There were 4,000 delegates from 100 countries and 190 delegations to The Netherlands. Newfane was one of just five delegations from the United States, and the four students that went were the most of any school.
Crago said he doesn’t do a whole lot to get the students motivated, or interested in the club. They already are.
“Preparing (for the conferences) is all on them,” he said. “They handle it so well. They work as a team.”
Contact reporter Joe Olenick
at 439-9222, ext. 6241.

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