The 20th annual Model United Nations conference took place at Frederick High School on January 18, 2025. Delegates from Frederick, the surrounding counties, and nearby states came together to represent their respective ‘countries’ and argue for resolutions regarding such things as Global Maternal and Child Healthcare, Environmental Sustainability in the Fashion and Textile Industries, Rights and Protections of Children In Combat Zones, and the Crisis in the Middle East. The eight students who attended for Walkersville High School’s made a strong showing, and Walkersville walked out with two medals.
This year is the first time Walkersville had delegates in the Spanish committee, which is done entirely in Spanish. Fatima Peralta attended as the delegate for Canada, and Mia Juarez attended as the delegate for the United States. Working closely with Mrs. Lugo-Goff, they crafted position papers regarding their country’s stance about intervening in Haiti. Then at the conference, they argued it out with the other countries who came to the table. Ultimately, Fatima’s public speaking and debate skills landed her best delegate for the Spanish Committee, and her writing skills won best position paper.
Fatima is a senior and has been a delegate for the Model UN conference twice, and this past conference was her first time completing it at the high school level. Besides Model UN, she is also involved in FFA, the National, Science, and Math Honor Societies at WHS, along with being active in horse riding and Boy Scouts outside of school among other extracurriculars. Fatima had to represent Canada’s standpoint, and she detailed her experience in the small, yet strong group of delegates from the western Maryland area: “At first I felt like most of us were afraid to speak up and voice our opinions. A lot of the other delegates made very strong opening speeches, and I feel like that gave everyone more confidence! Once we really started, everything else went by pretty smoothly! We ended up making two different resolutions [to solve Haiti’s issue] at first, but then compromised and worked as a group to fit everything into one resolution and pass it.
Model UN’s advisor, Ms. Kuske explained the history of the club at Walkersville throughout her time as its advisor. One of the reasons she decided to advise the club was because it was related to debate club, another group she leads: “Model UN and Debate Club both call for argument and reasoned debate, so when it was suggested I sponsored Model UN, it made sense. I took over Model UN after Mrs. Ivee left. Most advisors in the past were history teachers, so I’m the odd-one out as an English teacher.” Once she was comfortable with the concept of Model United Nations, she began to get more involved and invite other teachers. “This year, I suggested to Mrs. Lugo-Goff that we should have some of her students participate in the Spanish Committee, and she thought it was a great idea and agreed to co-sponsor with me. I edited the English position papers while she edited the Spanish ones. We worked a little more closely with the student writers this year, and pulled out a win. I also ended chairing a committee for the first time. It was a lot of fun, and the experienced delegates helped me get through it.”
The second Walkersville student in the Spanish Committee, Mia Juarez, gave her thoughts on Model UN at WHS: “The people in our Model UN Club were very helpful since we had some who had done it before. If anyone enjoys debating over worldwide problems and wanting to make a change, you should think about joining this club!”
Model UN students research global issues and dress in western business attire to participate in conferences and present their findings. Students then join various committees with topics created by international organizations from the United Nations, like the General Assembly or Security Council for experienced MUN members. There are also specialized committees like WHO or UNICEF committee, each addressing different agendas like “Rights of Children in Danger Zones” or “Global Maternal and Child Healthcare” among other societal issues. Delegates collaborate in drafting and debating resolutions for these topics, taking turns giving speeches explaining opinions. Disagreements often require compromises to secure a majority support to eventually vote upon resolutions, and may involve proposing amendments to add into the document, which shows true diplomacy amongst the delegates. Once debates conclude, a final vote determines whether a resolution passes. If approved, the session ends with an agreed-upon resolution to address the issue. These United Nations simulations are designed to help students learn to see issues from other perspectives and develop international cooperation. They help students develop public speaking, writing, and research skills. They often provide students with their first entry point into international affairs and concepts including peace and security, human rights, development, and rule of law issues. By learning about the UN as an institution, its role in world affairs, and the diplomacy involved in UN decisions, students also learn the importance of seeing matters from someone else’s perspective.
As a two-time Model UN delegate myself, Model UN is honestly a great experience to help with speaking skills and low self-confidence. It boosts ideas of politics and diplomacy, and looks great on college resumes and applications. If you’re considering joining the team next year and want more information, make sure to ask Ms. Kuske or Mrs. Lugo-Goff at any time, and come see the Model UN table at Multicultural Night on March 12.
