Greenwich High School’s Model United Nations Team recently won Outstanding Large Delegation at the Washington Area Model UN Conference (WAMUNC). In addition to their team recognition, ten GHS students were honored with individual acknowledgments for their performances.
GHS Teacher and Model UN Advisor Mr. Ian Tiedemann shared, “WAMUNC was an amazing conclusion to our year of college conferences. We had more students win Best Delegate than at any other conference in my time as the team’s advisor; we were also recognized as an Outstanding Large Delegation for the first time. When I look at our performance, though, what strikes me is that we feature a team of students who have been part of our club since they were in middle school. Our club’s leadership includes three students who participated in our summer program as 8th graders; our current 9th grader who won Best at WAMUNC was in the same summer program as a 6th grader. To me, our performance at WAMUNC represents our deep roots in the community, but also our commitment to learning throughout the pandemic. Combined, nothing could make me happier.”
WAMUNC is a four-day exercise in diplomacy, international affairs, and global knowledge. It prides itself on being one of the premier high school Model United Nations conferences in the world. WAMUNC is located just outside Washington, D.C. and fully staffed and sponsored by The George Washington University.
Individual Awards:
Best
- Aarya Dhru
Committee: Commission of the Status of Women
Role: Israel
- Amrutha Nandakumar
Committee: Human Rights Council
Role: Denmark
- Ben Shi
Committee: The Transition of Arrakis/Dune
Role: Stilgar, Fremen
- Kade Tibberts
Committee: The Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee
Role: Myanmar
- Josh Winston
Committee: Kiel Mutiny
Role: Friedrich Schönbeck
Honorable
- Skyler McDonnell
Committee: Ad hoc
Role: Delegate 1
- Ziyi Yan
Committee: Global Health in Communism
Role: Teija Lyngstad, Prime Minister of Denmark
Outstanding
- Ambika Grover
Committee: Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space
Role: Israel
- Veda Swaminathan
Committee: Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean States
Role: Mexico
Verbal
- Bryn McConnell
Committee: The Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural Committee
Role: Israel
Student competitors shared remarks as well.
GHS MUN President Skyler McDonnell: “After doing Model UN for four years, WAMUNC XXIII was the last college conference of my high school career. I joined MUN as a freshman because I wanted to learn more about global politics and get better at public speaking; while both of those goals were accomplished, it’s really the other members of GHS’s Model UN community that have made my four years as part of the club so special, and that’s why it was so bittersweet to participate in my last conference.
As a club leader, I’m so proud of how well everyone in the club has adapted to doing things online this year, from virtual conferences to playing online pictionary on Saturday night instead of the typical board games and delegate dance. Doing Model UN virtually this year was a big adjustment for everyone, and the club members’ willingness to continue participating and improving makes me feel so lucky to be part of the MUN community.”
Veda Swaminathan: “GHS MUN closed the college conference competition season on a really amazing note. This was the last conference for many of our seniors, and to have such a great experience with the conference, and in this virtual format, definitely made this one of the best conferences of the year! I represented the delegation of Mexico in the Economic Commission of Latin America and the Caribbean, and discussed how to build macroeconomic stability. Something I really liked about this committee was the emphasis on short term solutions that were feasible and practical. Oftentimes in Model UN, delegates will concoct super complex solutions that would take decades to implement properly, so we don’t really consider the immediate effects. I also loved that I was able to apply concepts I’m learning about in the classroom. I am an AP Economics student, and being able to debate the nitty gritty economic concepts to determine how to boost overall macroeconomic stability allowed me to piece all the concepts I am studying together like a puzzle.”
Aarya Dhru: “I was in the Commission on the Status of Women committee and we discussed violence towards women in Latin America. Not only was I able to make new friends from all over the world, but I was able to look at this topic from a completely new perspective and work to address an issue that mattered a lot to me. Model UN conferences are exciting as we always walk away with fun memories as well as new information about a variety of topics. I would like to thank the rest of the leadership team, Mr. Tiedemann, and all of the WAMUNC staff that made this conference possible.”
Amrutha Nandakumar: “Being part of WAMUNC was an amazing experience which I was grateful to be a part of. Model UN is an activity unlike any other, because it focuses not on being better than other people but on working together and being effective collaborators. My committee focused on two relevant and pressing issues, the current refugee crises and religious intolerance. My experience in committee really opened my eyes to the layered difficulties that come with solving these issues, and left me with a newfound interest in learning about these problems and how they can be solved. I also really appreciate how, even though we are in committee individually, every single part of it is a team effort. Being in committee takes a lot of support, both from each other, our families, who support us through the long, often tiring hours in committee, and from our advisor, Mr. Tiedemann, who is always available if we have a question or need any help and does his best to make the experience as easy as possible. I am really proud of the Outstanding Delegation award we received because it reflects the hard work we put in to not just being the best delegates that we can be, but the best team we can be, and I look forward to getting to continue my journey as a delegate in the coming years.”
Benjamin Shi: “I, of course, am very proud to have won a Best Delegate award at WAMUNC. But I am even more proud to see our club’s performance and how every single member has progressed! At each conference, we break our award records over and over again, and I am hopeful we can continue to do that next year! The hard work and dedication members have put in MUN is indicative of our recent performances, and the stories and experiences we have all gained from these conferences will most certainly remain with us for a long time.”
About the Washington Area Model UN Conference
The Washington Area Model United Nations Conference is dedicated to promoting the development of diplomacy and knowledge of the field of international affairs amongst high school students from all over the world by providing a top-quality conference experience that allows learning and personal growth in a fun and engaging atmosphere.
