We all know Ben Davis offers a bunch of extracurricular programs. But do you guys know about the upcoming Model UN competition on February 1st? And did you know that it’s at Ben Davis? No? Well, that’s what I’m here for.

Model UN is one of many programs at Ben Davis. What is Model UN you may ask? Well, Stacy Duran said it best.

“Model UN is an organization where students roleplay delegates for the United Nations, where we can also learn more about international relations and the actual United Nations itself,” Duran said. 

Students are given a country and a real-world problem and have to form a resolution from their country’s perspective. Model UN coach John Dimmick also helps students along the way. He will help students on all levels, from something as general as coming up with ideas, to something as detailed as specific phrasing. 

In order to prepare for meets, students will spend time researching their country’s position on the given problem and try to come up with a resolution. At meets, they will discuss what they have found, and how other country’s positions may affect their resolution. Students will also discuss other situations that may come up during a meet and occasionally have a mini mock assembly. 

Students will vote for either a moderated caucus or an unmoderated caucus. A moderated caucus will involve a speaker list and a time limit for how long each student speaks. An unmoderated caucus will allow students to walk around and talk to other students to come up with a resolution. The overall goal of a meet is to have the other participants vote for your proposal. Given this goal, students will have to develop their proposals very carefully. They will have to make sure that they include other countries’ perspectives while crafting their resolution, as wording can make or break their proposal. 

Ben Davis hosted a conference on Saturday, February 1st. In addition to Ben Davis, four other schools attended. These schools were Tri-West, Lawrence North, West Lafayette, and Harrison. With upcoming meets, students are going to have to be ready soon. Are students ready? Duran and Hala Hershi feel prepared for the upcoming meets. Dimmick knows students will be ready because they all know how to prepare, as all of them have been in Model UN before. 

Why join Model UN? Well, that’s a great question. Dimmick encourages students interested in politics and debating to join. He also says that Model UN teaches students communication skills and how to realistically make compromises with others. Students get to explore international politics while they play the role of another country. Hala Hershi says that what got her to join “was the opportunity to explore international politics and just doing something new.”

Who wouldn’t enjoy the opportunity to try something new?