Members of the FSAPS Model United Nations team returned from their trip to New York City on Saturday. Representing the African nation of Gabon, These students participated in the International Middle School Model UN Conference, where they competed with 2000 students from over 100 schools, many of which were from other countries.
Students arrived in the city early in order to take in the many sites and shopping opportunities. Fortunately, the projected snow veered away and the wind and chill were kept at bay by the sheer excitement of exploring the city.
The conference was opened with a ceremony at the United Nations Headquarters before moving to several floors of the Grand Hyatt hotel next to Grand Central Station. During the trip, students had many opportunities to ride the subway to visit far-flung places in the city, such as Central Park, Times Square (awe-inspiring at night), and the 9/11 Memorial at Ground Zero, among others. For many, buying sacks of candy at the venerable FAO Schwarz and New York memorabilia was as exciting the competition itself.
The students had a great time participating in the conference, where they were split into various councils to discuss important issues facing the world today. During this time, students made friends with their peers from schools the US and around the world to present positions and resolutions to these issues.
This conference produced our best showing in the international competition, where half of the team received awards. Clair Merideth-Webb and Phillip Trainor received the gavel for being the best delegation in the United Nations Environmental Programme where they discussed the protection and conservation of the arctic. Chloe Richardson and Katherine Li received honorable mention for their work in the World Health Organization "establishing a universal action plan for the zombie pandemic." Finally, Shreya Rekapalli received special recognition in her council, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women. The other team members, Aditya Choudhari, Omar Kayali, Sid Marupudi,
Vikram Ruppa-Kasani, and Josh White were all equally productive members of their respective councils.
We are extremely proud of the hard work our students put into preparing for the conference and for their performance. These students were gracious, dignified, and represented FSAPS in the best possible light. Most of all, each had a great experience and created memories that will last a lifetime.
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