Members of Model UN got to be a part of the two-day conference in Topeka last week when they joined students from all over Kansas to participate in a model meeting of various things that the United Nations would do.

Students represented assigned countries to debate current global events and propose solutions to the world conflicts.

For some students those two days just aren’t enough.

“As of now we only go to the conference in Topeka but I’m trying to see if we can go to the one in Kansas City as well next year,” sophomore Duru Dogan said.

There were a total of 22 MHS students who attended the event. Each one was placed in a different council. These consist of the two general councils, a political council, security council and an economic-social council, each one discussing their own topics and how their decisions might have different outcomes.

First the students, typically four or five, are assigned a country. After that they are required to write a position paper that has general information about the country. These papers can win awards at the conference since there is some level of competition involved, even though it is mostly about the experience itself.

“Awards are given to the best speeches and delegations so technically, yes, it’s a competition, but I’ve never really thought of it as one,” Dogan said.

Once this occurs the students proceed to write resolutions to different global issues. Finally, mock debates are held, these are usually to practice parliamentary procedure and get a feel for what the real thing would be like.

Experience is the main thing that students take away from the Model UN conference. They learn a lot about how governments can be run and what running them is like. Communication is key so meeting students from other schools is commonly among the top memories from the conference.

“This experience taught me that the world is farther from perfect than we realize and that maximum effort is being put in to make it as wonderful as possible,” sophomore Josh Brandt said.