22 members of the Model United Nations club participated in the UCLA United Nations conference Nov. 16 to 17.

Students represented Japan and the United Kingdom and separated into committees to debate topics ranging from malnutrition to the use of technology in aiding humanitarian crises. Each participant wrote and presented a paper stating their country’s stance on various issues.

Students receive awards

At the conclusion of the event, the school won the Best Small Delegation award. Additionally, Layout Assistant and Staff Writer Jason Morganbesser ’22, Maria Oxyzolou ’22, Kate Konvitz ’20, Assistant Sports Editor Lucas Lee ’21 and Daniel Ju ’22 won Best Delegate awards.

Oxyzolou said she enjoyed the experience and learned many useful skills while at the convention.

“This was my first experience in Model U.N.,” Oxyzolou said. “I met a lot of really nice people, and it was a really fun experience. Going into it, I didn’t know how the whole system worked. Now that I do, I definitely would want to prepare more so that I can participate more fully.”

Student provides his opinion

Participant Matthew Lee ’21 said he found the convention educational and was able to improve his rhetoric as a result of his experience.

“Over time, I have gotten so much better at getting my point across in a succinct way and making friends with other delegates,” Lee said. “I think that making sure everyone feels comfortable around you is the key element of Model U.N., because it helps add to your potential network of allies [who] you can collaborate with.”

Lee said the UCLA conference stands out as one of his favorites, and he looks forward to future conventions.

“Model U.N. is extremely meaningful to me because it gives an opportunity to learn and talk about issues that affect everyone in the world, and it has also helped me become a better speaker in both formal and informal settings,” Lee said.