Model citizens: SVHS students attend Harvard conference

By Sarah Ford | Sonoma Valley Sun

A group of nine Sonoma Valley High School students made a trip to Boston last month, but it was no vacation — the young diplomats took part in the 65th annual Model UN, held this year at Harvard University.

They joined 3,300 high school students from 50 countries. Led by Harvard undergraduates, the delegates stepped into the role of international negotiators, crafting solutions to crises and arriving at decisions on major policy issues.

SVHS teacher Gary Gissell, who heads up the Model UN Club, chaperoned the group. The SVHS students were assigned ahead of time to represent Kuwait and, in preparation for the trip, they researched details from that country’s perspective such as civil rights, economics, and politics. Now in its fourth year, the club has also attended the conference at Berkeley twice, and at the University of Chicago.

Here is what the participants had to say about the experience:

Ivy Blackwood

What really amazed me about Harvard MUN was that students traveled from as far away as Pakistan for debate. Everyone present in my committee on the status of women was passionate about finding solutions for serious occurrences including child marriage, female genital mutilation, domestic abuse, and sexual harassment. The collaboration among delegates was outstanding for the duration of the debate, and at the end it was almost as if we were a (rather large) family. The trip exceeded my expectations and I can’t wait to attend another one next year!

Luis Esteva

It was a great experience because I got to meet and debate with high achieving students from all over the world, like Brazil, England, Italy, and Pakistan, among many more, on topics that really interest me. I also got to tour around Boston and all of its historical landmarks while trying to get used to the New England weather. Overall an amazing experience and I’d highly recommend it to anyone interested in politics or international relations.

Andrew Powers

This was my third Model UN trip, but my excitement to meet new people has never dwindled. Everyone is always eager to collaborate and connect even if we come from different countries (at this conference there were a lot of students from Pakistan and the UK).This trip was definitely my favorite so far because all the people were so amazing and Boston is a great city. One of my favorite memories was dancing to a local musician’s performance in a hotel lobby with a group of students from Mexico. Will definitely not forget that anytime soon.

Jacquelyn Torres

At the Harvard Model UN Conference, I was able to practice my researching skills, as I had to conduct a lot of investigation on the country we represented (Kuwait). What I love about MUN is that we are often placed in a position where we have to represent the position our country has on an issue, despite personally disagreeing with it. My favorite part of the trip, in general, was going back to the Harvard campus and reliving all of the memories I made while studying there this past summer. Although this is my last year on the SVHS MUN Team, as the Vice President, I look forward to continuing my involvement at the college level.

Claire McNairy

This was my first Model UN trip and I was pretty nervous at the start, but once I began  getting to know more people in my committee and got used to the system, I had so much fun. Everyone’s confidence and passion was contagious, making it much easier to participate. We also got some free time to travel around Boston and see some historical landmarks, as well as tour part of Harvard University. I highly recommend anyone to try MUN if they’re interested, it’s so much fun and it gave me the opportunity to go on a trip I’ll never forget.

Lily Raaka

My experience at Harvard Model United Nations taught me more about the political and moral standards of the countries that make up the United Nations. I was fortunate to have met and befriended people my age from around the world, discovering our similarities and differences in culture. It was an amazing learning experience to debate on behalf of our designated country, Kuwait, and then work with other delegates to all come together in the end to form a resolution that benefitted all nations.

Reese Dobson

I learned a lot about formal political debate and discussion. It was important to be aware of other countries’ beliefs to form alliances with them and come to compromises that would benefit the ideologies of both parties. The most memorable part for me was how diverse and friendly the other students at the conference were. They were willing to help others who didn’t know how the meetings worked and friendly both within and outside of debate.

Tessla Carlsson

Model UN was such a wonderful experience. The most valuable part of the experience was getting to meet kids from all over the world, learn about their lives, educations, world-views and approach to diplomacy. Additionally, while terrifying, the format of moderated debate really strengthened my public speaking skills and ability to pull together a comprehensive speech in a few minutes. I loved MUN and wish I had joined the  club earlier so I could have gone on more trips.

Ethan Smith

This was my third trip with the SVHS Model UN Club and it was amazing. Because of this club I have been able to travel to places I wouldn’t have ever been to otherwise (Chicago and Boston), and met some really amazing people from all over the world. As for the convention itself, I’ve studied topics about world issues, and discovered how truly hard it is to come to compromises and agreements with those you disagree with. This club has expanded my view on the world and allowed me to study things we would never cover in my regular classes. I am truly thankful for having the opportunity to join this club and for the experiences.