Gateway senior Meg Rock earned a Best Delegate award at the year’s first Model United Nations conference in mid-January. (Photo submitted)
by Gateway Communications Intern Autumn Marchese
HUNTINGTON – As the day approached, student members of the Model United Nations (MUN) club at Gateway eagerly prepared for the Fourth Annual All-American Model UN Invitational. High school students who attended were given the opportunity to attempt to solve issues that are based off of real ones that the UN tackles every day.
On Saturday, Jan. 12, the All-American Model UN Program hosted their annual one-day conference in Cambridge, Massachusetts—used as a tactic for groups to gain experience and technique in preparation for larger conferences. Team members are divided into groups with specific tasks or issues. For example, the Commission on Population and Development may work to fulfill the nutritional needs of the ageing population, or address the effects of international migration on cities. Seven members of Gateway’s MUN club attended the event, representing a country or political figure while acting as the real UN would, tackling real-world issues and working together (or against each other) to achieve an end goal.
At the end of the conference, three delegates are selected from each committee to win an award for their performance: best delegate, outstanding delegate or honorable mention. Gateway senior Meg Rock and sophomore John Gaj won awards for their shared committee, which was addressing the great flu outbreak in Beijiing from 2018. Rock scored best delegate for working as Vice Mayor Mr. Yin Yong and Gaj received honorable mention as the Commissioner of Ethnic Affairs. Others Gateway students who competed included Sophia de la Cruz-Rivera , Brian Forgue, Autumn Marchetto, Henry Nakaya and Katrina Nakaya.
Gateway’s Model United Nations club is supported, in part, by funding from the Gateway Education Foundation. Additional photos may be seen on the home page of the Gateway website (www.grsd.org). Gateway’s Model UN Club is advised by social studies teacher Lexi Thompson.
