By Jash Mody and Marco Valle
Under the guidance of social studies teachers Mr. Novak and Dr. D’Orsogna, 25 selected delegates from New Hyde Park attended the Rutgers University Model United Nations Conference. On November 17, they started their trip on a coach bus from NHP to the Hyatt Regency Hotel in New Brunswick, located within walking distance to the Rutgers campus.
NHP delegates spent Thursday through Saturday debating various topics such as human trafficking, preventing child marriage and slum upgrading for upwards of nine hours each day. As a result of their participation, students won 11 awards for their skills in debate.
Source from idiamunc Instagram
Seniors Rachel Houng and Brenda Bolouvi accept the "Best Large Delegation" award which has not been won at an in-person conference since 2013.
“I am thankful I had the opportunity to compete and that myself and many other individuals at the conference received distinctions with our school,” junior Ethan Mehta said. “I am proud of my fellow delegates for all the hard work we put in, and we appreciate Mr. Novak's commitment to the club to let us showcase our skills and most importantly, make lifelong memories and connections via this conference.”
“For me, Rutgers was an enlightening experience. I had so many moments of the trip where I thought to myself, it was surreal to think about how I was at such a large and well-known university surrounded by peers who had the same goals and ambitions as me, debating topics that I am genuinely passionate about," junior Fiona O'Reilly said.
“Winning together as a school was such a satisfying experience,” senior Evelyn Joseph said. “I feel as though we’ve created one big MUN family and made ourselves and the whole entire school proud. Even though it was a lot of hard work, it was one of the best experiences.”
Not only did RUMUN provide a place for students to learn and debate, it allowed these students to experience things that they would not have experienced in a traditional classroom setting. Students who attended the conference expressed that they got to meet new people, try new things and grow closer as a club.
Source from Mr. Novak
NHP students (front row) Julia Kim, Abigail Varghese, Kaitlyn Bell, Fiona O'Reilly, Irene Paul, Pari Shah, Gianna Bonetti, Tanisha Patel, Rachel Houng, Evelyn Joseph, (second row) Rishi Singh, Samarth Jani, Deborah Aderibigbe, Brenda Bolouvi, Safiya Hamdani, Guraneel Kaur, Sahir Bhatia, Marco Valle, Jash Mody, (back row) Rafael Garcia, Rachel Jacob, Daniel Zekthi, Nikson Alex, Ethan Metha and Alex Tomalski, pose in front of the Rutgers University mascot before they enjoyed conference activities which included karaoke, board games and jeopardy.
“My experience at Rutgers really opened my eyes to how many people find the same happiness and passion in MUN as myself,” senior Abigail Varghese said. “Everyone on the trip got so much closer, and it showed how close-knit and genuinely incredible NHPMUN is.”
New Hyde Park is scheduled to attend BOSMUN from February 9 to February 12. After getting a taste of success at Rutgers, many delegates anticipate the arrival of BOSMUN. As preparation begins, many people in the club are excited to see what future conferences will bring.
Awards
Best Delegate:
Seniors Brenda Bolouvi and Rachel Houng, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
Junior Fiona O'Reilly and Sophomore Marco Valle, The United Nations Human Settlement Programme
Juniors Guraneel Kaur and Pari Shah, The United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice
Junior Ethan Mehta, Libyan Cabinet
Outstanding Delegate:
Senior Nikson Alex, 1990 Diamond Council
Junior Rishi Singh and Sophomore Daniel Zekthi, The United Nations World Health Organization
Junior Kaitlyn Bell and Sophomore Gianna Bonetti, The United Nations Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee
Sophomores Alexander Tomalski and Sahir Bhatia, The United Nations Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice
Sophomores Rachel Jacob and Julia Kim, The United Nations Commission on the Status of Women
Best Position Paper:
Seniors Samarth Jani and Abigail Varghese, The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.
Sophomores Deborah Aderibigbe and Jash Mody, The Disarmament and International Security Committee.
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