Sponsor:
Matt MacLeod
mmacleod@bloomfield.org

When and Where:
November to March

Meeting Schedule for 2008

All meeting are Wednesday at 6:30 am
now through March

For more information:
Log onto Blackboard

(webconnect.bloomfield.org)
go to PREVIEW button
click on blue COURSES tab
and type in:
LHS Model United Nations Club

or

call
248.341.6807

The Lahser Model United Nations club is one of the largest clubs at Lahser with roughly 50 members.  The club meets once a week at 6:30 am to prepare for the two conferences it attends each year: IAMUN and MSUMUN.  These conferences are one and three days long and are packed with politics and world affairs.  Each student assumes the role of a delegate from a foreign country and debates world issues from the perspective of that country.  Their main goal is to pass a resolution that achieves the objectives on their country’s agenda.  Some of the countries Lahser has represented include Serbia, Russia, The Republic of the Congo, South Korea, Denmark, France, the United States, The Former USSR (On a historical council), Iran, Kuwait, Qatar, and many others.  While at a conference, delegates debate topics ranging from humanitarian issues, treatment of prisoners of war, Nuclear Proliferation, and even mock scenarios such as handling terrorist attacks and invasions of other countries.  It is always a challenge for students to step outside of their comfort zones and argue policies that they might not necessarily believe.  However, having a global understanding and being able to see the many sides to an issue has been something Lahser’s team has excelled at.  The club, which will celebrate the beginning of its fourth year in the fall, has grown from only a few members at its founding to a thriving, successful student organization.  The club’s captains this year are Jessica Kraft (recruiting), Lindsey Bander and David Agyekum (conferences), Jessica Jou and TJ Emmitt (fundraising), Erika Mayer (secretary and treasurer), and Nicole Ferszt and James Carl (charity).  In a few weeks, the seniors will hand the baton over to the class of ’09, and the captains will be Matt Pierce, Lauren Dugas, and James Meintjes.  Recently, Lahser’s Model United Nations club spent three days at the Michigan State University Model United Nations conference in East Lansing.  Thirty-six Lahser students took on the roles of Serbia, Russia, The Republic of the Congo, South Korea, Denmark, and France across ten committees.  The three days flew by with intense debate on claims to the arctic, AIDs, communism in Africa, negotiating with terrorists, and many other current world topics.  Lahser’s delegates repeatedly passed resolutions that attempted to solve these issues.   The overall team performance was spectacular, a fact made obvious by the awards ceremony. Lahser brought home six awards during the closing ceremony.  Four Best Delegate awards, the most prestigious award in any committee, were awarded to Matt Pierce (Legal), Jessica Kraft (African Union), Ben Rosner (UNICEF), and Craig Kaplan (UNDP).  Brian Bowman won Honorable Mention in the Legal Committee.  As previously mentioned, in only its fourth year, Lahser also won the highly coveted Best Big School Award edging out 22 other schools.  This was the ultimate compliment for the team, being named the best overall delegation. Model UN is a club that attempts to open the eyes of this generation.  In a time when it is easy for students to shift their attention more to the prom than starving children in Tibet, MUN club members try to solve real world issues and understand the world around them.  They experience the world from many different sides of an issue and learn about countries they did not even know existed.  The world is rapidly growing smaller, and the future is definitely global.  Model UN is taking the initiative and starting the internationalization process now.  The club is fun and exciting, and always looking for eager new members.

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