Model UN students will participate in international conference

February 23, 2010— Model United Nations delegates from Cypress Springs and Jersey Village high schools showed strong performances at a recent two-day Houston Area Model UN (HAMUN) Conference and will participate in the UNA-USA Model UN Conference in New York City in May.

Cypress Springs’ Russian delegation won the Secretary General’s grand prize, while Jersey Village was awarded Best Delegation. Both schools earned a $5,000 trip to New York City with airfare and accommodations provided by the Board of Governors representing HAMUN.

Jersey Village students and Croatian delegates Citlalli Alvarez and Yahya Khan were selected as Outstanding Delegates for their committees of General Assembly Third, while Veronica Tverbakk won Outstanding Delegate for the UNICEF committee. Citlalli and Yahya will travel to New York City, representing the country of Lebanon in the Security Council.

Other students in Jersey Village’s delegation include Neha Vaidya, Christopher Wong, John Erford, Oscar Gonzalez, Daniel Bastidas and Grey Gibbons.

“I am so excited and overcome with pride and joy for these students; they have all worked very hard this year in preparation for the Houston-area conference,” said Lisa McNeil, Jersey Village world geography team leader and Model UN sponsor. “Especially notable is the fact that six of the nine students were first-year students in the organization and took to the process of debating and solving world issues like professional, great problem-solvers.”

Cypress Springs’ Russian delegates that represented the National Security Council for Russia were required to research Russia’s position on the occupation of Chechnya. In the same room were students representing the United States, Georgia and other countries with a vested interest in the Chechnya occupation. Together they had to reach an agreement and sign a treaty concerning the situation. The Russian team chose to grant Chechnya independence in exchange for oil rights.

The following Cypress Springs students, listed with the committee they serve on, will travel to the UNA-USA Model UN Conference: Quinn Hines, National Security Council; Desiree Berger, National Security Council; Raphael Akinsipe, General Assembly Plenary; Rachel Hillebrand, Security Council; Robert Rayford, International Court of Justice; and Jackie Kingsley, United Nations High Commission for Refugees.

“I am so proud of the students that participated in Model UN this year. They spent their Saturdays traveling across town to learn how to be better delegates, and spent many hours researching their country,” said Katherine Cantu, Cypress Springs teacher and Model UN sponsor. “The seniors were told they were ineligible for the trip, yet worked just as hard as the underclassmen in earning points toward the trip.”