“Motion for an unmoderated caucus of ten minutes.”

“I yield my time to the chair.”

You won’t hear these phrases in an everyday classroom, but WHS students in the Model United Nations club (Model UN) must familiarize themselves with these expressions to prepare for national Model UN conferences.

At conferences, students represent various states and countries in simulations of present and historical international issues. The goal for most committees is to reach a solution to an assigned problem by the end of the conference in the form of a resolution paper. To do this, delegates spend committee sessions debating the issue and their country’s position on how to handle it.

This past February, WHS’s club went to a conference held at Boston University. There, one student represented Indiana at the Democratic convention of Chicago in 1968. In addition, many members represented Cyprus and Ecuador, which were the two assigned countries for WHS, in the general assembly and a discussion on terrorism.

“From an educational perspective, the purpose is to increase people’s understanding of world events and issues,” club advisor Ellen Cheeseman-Meyer said. “From a student perspective, it’s a great opportunity to play with that information, and I think that’s really cool. You go, you represent, you debate, you compromise, you vote, just like the United Nations does.”

“I love Model UN because you get to engage with real-world issues and explore solutions while having fun with other students from around the world,” junior member Kathleen Barrow said.

For Barrow, the conferences were nerve wracking at first, but she quickly became more comfortable and experienced.

“It can definitely be intimidating the first time you go up to speak in front of an assembly, but it becomes easier the more you do it,” Barrow said.

This year, WHS’s Model UN club went to two conferences. Besides the one at Boston University, the students also attended one at Brown University in November.

There are no requirements to be a part of the club. For Barrow, the opportunity to take part in large discussions was very appealing. Barrow is the co-leader of the club, along with fellow junior Libby Chafe.

“Libby and I got involved with Model UN because we both thought it sounded interesting,” Barrow said. “After attending my first conference, I knew that Model UN was something that I really enjoyed. We hope that as leaders of the club, we will be able to share our passion with other students at WHS.”

As leaders, Barrow and Chafe are primarily responsible for researching conferences for the club to attend and holding meetings to help the club members prepare for the conferences. In addition, they also manage the logistical aspects, such as working out registrations and arranging transportation. At these meetings, Cheeseman-Meyer gives advice, consults on position papers with the students and teaches rules regarding parliamentary procedure.

The club leaders and Cheeseman-Meyer are trying to find ways to expand the club. As the AP European History teacher, Cheeseman-Meyer is looking for ways to connect the club with her class.

“At Brown, they were having a Peace of Westphalia historical committee. I thought there’d be some good opportunity for connection,” Cheeseman-Meyer said. “We did some Model UN-style simulations in AP Euro this year. I couldn’t really require AP Euro students to participate in Model UN. They’re seniors. They come in with so many extracurriculars, but I think it’s a great opportunity for people to get more familiar with historical issues in depth.”

“Libby and I hope that next year we will have even more students get involved and enjoy Model UN as much as we do. We will definitely try to go to more conferences and plan some more group meetings,” Barrow said.