Five Students Recognized at Columbia Model UN Conference

 

In what has become a somewhat annual tradition, a handful of Rivers students returned home from the annual conference with individual recognition from their respective delegations. Robert D’Alessandro ’16, Lincoln Zaleski ’16, Silvia Curry ’16, Omar Frometa ’17, and Natasha McMillan ’19 were each considered among the finest delegates in their committees and earned awards from Outstanding Delegate to Honorable Mention.

 

The topics that each of the students are assigned to address at the conference has the biggest impact on how well the students perform, according to Model UN advisor Bill McGinty ’01.

 

“I think there were a lot of very challenging committees this year, but a lot of them matched up very well with our students’ interests,” said Mr. McGinty, who also teaches History. “Lincoln Zaleski, for example, is very passionate about Armenian heritage and was placed in an Armenian committee so that was a perfect match and it really showed in his performance.”

 

Lincoln played the role of Armenian Prime Minister Hovik Abrahamyan on a joint committee that dealt with the disputed territory of Nagorno-Karabakh, which is located in Azerbaijan but is ethnically Armenian. The impact of this topic on his heritage allowed Lincoln to dive in and speak passionately about the issue and accurately portray the Prime Minister’s position on the issue.

 

“It was a good position to have, a lot of power,” Lincoln remarked. “I was able to speak my mind more fluently than normal, which was nice since it was an issue very close to my heart. It’s such a competitive competition that there were many people who spoke very well but did not receive an award, but in general I think our group of Rivers students spoke very well and a lot of that came down to the committees we were placed in.”

 

As the President of the Model UN club and a senior, this trip to Columbia was particularly special for Lincoln because it was his fourth and final visit to the New York campus. Now able to reflect on four years of Model UN and the lessons learned, he commented on how the Rivers Model UN club allows younger students to both get involved and become engaged.

 

“I remember my freshman year I was very nervous and didn’t speak in the first two hours of committee, but as you go through committees and become more comfortable in your interactions you realize how valuable it is to speak early and often in order to find out who your allies are,” Lincoln remembers. “As a senior, I have been able to share that knowledge and experience with younger students during our club meetings at Rivers. We also have a lot of traditions at this conference, for instance we always go to this Chinese restaurant across the street from the Columbia gates where we are able to share advice and hear about everyone’s successes during their committees. It’s a great bonding time for us and it really illustrates how tight-knit the Model UN group is within the community at Rivers.”

 

Preparations for this conference begin early in the year and are carried out during 30-minute club meetings the club holds each week. With many schools offering Model UN as a class that meets several times a week, making the most of the time they are given is the responsibility of the club’s older members and that role is one they have truly embraced.

 

“The older students set an incredible example for the newer members regarding how to approach the conference, and specifically where to strike the balance between having fun and taking it seriously,” McGinty said. “They did a great job of mentoring them and helping them understand parliamentary procedure and how the committees work. Ms. [Amy] Enright and I can offer advice on certain things, but it's much more impactful when a senior or junior says ‘that was totally my experience as well.’ Beyond that, the value of setting a precedent of success shows that regardless of how many times a week or a month we meet they can still hang with these other students that do this work every day.”

 

The Columbia conference marks the final competitive event for the Model UN Club, so they will now begin preparing to launch their annual simulation. This year, the group will split into Republican and Democratic delegations to debate many of the issues currently facing America, including several that will face the upcoming Presidential candidates as the next election draws closer.