McKendree University Hosts Three-Day Model UN Event for Local High Schools

(Please Note: Group photos of participating schools are posted at www.mckendree.edu/photos. Click the Model UN 2023 link to find specific high schools.

Students from surrounding high schools took home approximately 70 individual awards

(LEBANON, Ill., March 13, 2023) – McKendree University hosted its annual Model United Nations event on campus from March 7-9. More than 300 student delegates from 14 local high schools attended and participated in this event, representing more than 50 countries.

Model UN provides students with an opportunity to learn how the UN operates and to practice their public speaking, debate, negotiation and team leadership skills. Participants take on roles as diplomats representing a country, investigating international issues, negotiating with allies and adversaries, and developing solutions to world problems. Many of today’s leaders in law, government, business, the arts and even the UN itself participated in Model UN as high school and college students.

Participating high schools and the countries they represented include the following:

Althoff Catholic High School: Brazil

Belleville East High School: India, Egypt and Belgium

Belleville West High School: the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Iran

Christian Brothers College High School: Morocco

Freeburg High School: Mexico, Greece, Iraq and New Zealand

Gibault Catholic High School: France, Vietnam and Armenia

Highland High School: Ireland, Afghanistan, Ukraine, Canada and Japan

Lebanon High School: Albania and Croatia

Mascoutah High School: Norway and Canada

O’Fallon Township High School: the United States, Australia, Germany, Argentina, Venezuela, Philippines, Myanmar, Uganda, Belarus, Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Zimbabwe, Turkey and Spain

Okawville Jr./Sr. High School: China

Springfield High School: Kenya and Peru

Triad High School: United Kingdom, Georgia, Italy, Panama, Pakistan, Morocco, Portugal, South Africa and Papa New Guinea

Valmeyer High School: Russia, Poland and Cuba

Zane Phillips, a McKendree sophomore from Chambersburg, Ill., served as the Secretary General of this year’s conference.

Some of the committee topics included the conflict in Ukraine, disputes in the South China Seas, space debris interference with satellites and more. On Thursday, March 9, committees were also given hypothetical “crisis scenarios.” For example, the General Assembly committees dealt with Elon Musk claiming sovereignty over Mars, and the Economic and Social Council dealt with the appearance of surveillance balloons all over the world.

Approximately 70 individual awards were handed out, including the top delegate awards in each committee, top position paper awards, top resolution awards and top policy statement awards. Triad High School won the most outstanding delegation award for the United Kingdom delegation. O’Fallon Township High School also won an outstanding delegation award for the United States delegation. Honorable mention awards went to Valmeyer High School for the Russia delegation and to Highland High School for the Ireland delegation.

Local students also took home many awards for their efforts. The complete list of awards is as follows:

General Assembly

Outstanding Delegate: Will Millard from O’Fallon Township High School, representing the United States

Superior Delegate: Ryon Lafontaine from Triad High School, representing Italy; Grace Hanvey from Highland High School, representing Japan

Honorable Mention: Drew Schmoll from Gibault High School, representing France; Brody Schram from Triad High School, representing Morocco; Logan Neilson from Triad High School, representing the United Kingdom

First Committee – Political

Outstanding Delegate: Sophia Hall from O’Fallon Township High School, representing the United States

Superior Delegate: Payton Markovic from Triad High School, representing Italy; Emily Geisen from Triad High School, representing Pakistan

Honorable Mention: Kaitlyn Stanley from O’Fallon Township High School, representing the United Kingdom; Isaiah Hoover from Freeburg High School, representing New Zealand; Emma Manning from Freeburg High School, representing Mexico

Third Committee – Social, Cultural and Humanitarian

Outstanding Delegate: Brock Murphy from Gibault High School, representing Armenia

Superior Delegate: Megan You from O’Fallon Township High School, representing the United States; Katie Barker from Triad High School, representing the United Kingdom

Honorable Mention: Katherine Arterburn from Belleville East High School, representing India; Laura Cook from Okawville High School, representing China; Elias Donahue from Christian Brothers College High School, representing Morocco

Sixth Committee – Legal

Outstanding Delegate: Naomi Saathoff from Highland High School, representing Ireland

Superior Delegate: Calla Litteken from Triad High School, representing the United Kingdom; Ian Roewe, representing North Korea

Honorable Mention: Kate Louer from O’Fallon Township High School, representing the United States; Zig Samuelson from O’Fallon Township High School, representing Saudi Arabia; Cullan Dixon from O’Fallon Township High School, representing Argentina

Fourth Committee – Special Political

Outstanding Delegate: Eric Chappuis from Valmeyer High School, representing Russia

Superior Delegate: Gavin Fox from Triad High School, representing Portugal; Tyler Rottman from Highland High School, representing Ireland

Honorable Mention: Claire Dulle from Okawville High School, representing China; Xavier Blankenship from Freeburg High School, representing Greece; Ethan Wyatt from Triad High School, representing the United Kingdom

Economic and Social Council

Outstanding Delegate: Jack Gibson from O’Fallon Township High School, representing the United States

Superior Delegate: Makenna Frierdich from Triad High School, representing the United Kingdom; Aryamun Kalra from Belleville East High School, representing India

Honorable Mention: Jaden Williams, representing North Korea; Loegon Pete from Belleville East High School, representing Egypt; Zoe Thiems from Highland High School, representing Ireland

Science and Technology Committee

Outstanding Delegate: Ahmad Hamzeh from Belleville West High School, representing Iran

Superior Delegate: Josh Delthoff from O’Fallon Township High School, representing the United States; Valerie Branson from Valmeyer High School, representing Russia

Honorable Mention: Zachary Clement from Triad High School, representing the United Kingdom; Jonah Phelps from O’Fallon Township High School, representing Portugal; Elizabeth Maroon from Highland High School, representing Ukraine

Security Council

Outstanding Delegate: Nolan Gann from Triad High School, representing the United Kingdom

Superior Delegate: Megan Nail from Freeburg High School, representing Mexico

Honorable Mention: Ava Schmollinger from Lebanon High School, representing Albania

World Health Organization

Outstanding Delegate: Finn Stever from Highland High School, representing Ireland

Superior Delegate: Caleb Seboldt from Valmeyer High School, representing Russia

Honorable Mention: Madison Quick from Triad High School, representing the United Kingdom

Position Paper Awards

Outstanding Position Paper: Kate Louer from O’Fallon Township High School, representing the United States

Superior Position Paper: Alexandra Carroll from O’Fallon Township High School, representing the United States; Makenna Frierdich from Triad High School, representing the United Kingdom

Honorable Mention: Jared Robert Niebreugge from Valmeyer High School, representing the Russian Federation; Regan Masterson from Mascoutah High School, representing Norway; Madison Quick from Triad High School, representing the United Kingdom

Policy Statement Awards

Outstanding Policy Statement: Katie Barker from Triad High School, representing the United Kingdom

Superior Policy Statement: Eric Chappuis from Valmeyer High School, representing Russia

Honorable Mention: Emma Heap, Freeburg High School, representing Mexico

Resolution Awards

Outstanding Resolution: Nolan Gann from Triad High School, representing the United Kingdom

Superior Resolution: Grace Hanvey from Highland High School, representing Japan; Tyler Larson from Highland High School, representing Japan

Honorable Mention: Ethan Wyatt from Triad High School, representing the United Kingdom; Emily Giesen from Triad High School, representing Pakistan; Maddie Fields from O’Fallon Township High School, representing Australia

 

-McK-