February has been a busy month for Norwin’s Model UN (MUN) Club across the board, with conferences at American University from February 2nd to the 4th and Pitt on February 20th coming to a close. Traveling to the nation’s capital earlier this month, tensions were high for the club, and students were determined to have a good time and take home some awards.
“My experience at American was a fantastic opportunity to be able to shown my skills as a delegate while being able to learn how to improve for the future,” said junior delegate, Luke Sivic. “American has a unique environment where you not only thrive but also learn.”
At American, the MUN Club faced over 800 competitors at an international level, with students all over the globe participating in the conference. Competition was fierce, especially considering many of Norwin’s delegates were new to the club, but Norwin held their own in spite of the new challenges they faced.
“This being my second conference ever I was honestly really nervous about the conference as a whole going into it,” said sophomore delegate Joseph Cramer. “Despite this all my fellow delegates from Norwin were a big help in making sure I was prepared properly for this level of conference. Going into committee for the first time at Amerimunc and talking to all kinds of people from all over was a surreal experience, and after getting to know these people my nerves were almost completely gone after realizing that everyone in my room were chill, and looking for each other’s best interest. Outside of conference I think this is the most fun I’ve ever had on a school trip. It was just crazy to be in the nation’s capitol walking around with a bunch of my friends. Overall this conference was a great experience and I had a blast.”
Ultimately, much of the Norwin MUN club’s hard work led to great success, with the team taking home four awards in total from three delegates: treasurer, Paige Tokay, who won Best Delegate (first place) and Best Article in the Press Corp Committee, Molly Geissler, who won Outstanding Delegate (second place) in “Pray for the Wicked,” and Paighten Gill, who won the Diplomacy award in the Cabinet of Equatorial Guinea.
“Overall, I think that the students did a wonderful job at American University,” said club sponsor, Larissa Sturm. “With over 800 students, and more in depth topics, this is a conference that is much different than the local one day conferences that many of the students were used to. For about half of the students that attended, this was the first time that they attended a travel conference so there was a learning curve for many. Even though there were many newer delegates this year, I feel that they did a great job and hope they continue with MUN as they will only continue to grow and learn. For those that received awards, I expected Paige to excel in the Press Corps since that is a passion of hers and was not shocked when she won the best delegate and diplomacy award. She is an outstanding delegate that demonstrates diplomacy and cooperation when in committee. To receive both awards is absolutely incredible and I am extremely proud of everything that Paige accomplished in Washington D.C. Molly received the outstanding delegate award. Over the past two years, Molly has done a fantastic job in Model UN and continues to impress her chairs with her ability to memorize information and speak with confidence. Lastly, Paighten received the diplomacy award and this just showcases her ability to work with others in a diplomatic, understanding way. Paighten knows that teamwork and collaboration are effective when in committee.”
Though they came home with several awards, Norwin’s MUN club was not finished working, however. With only two weeks to prepare for Pitt’s Asia Challenge between American University, Norwin’s delegates still had much to accomplish. Even close to home, Pitt’s Asia Challenge posed many challenges for Norwin delegates, who would be going against students from Riverview, Upper St. Clair, and other fierce competitors. Still, despite the difficulties they faced, many delegates had an incredible time at Asia Challenge.
“Pitt Asia Challenge was a fantastic experience! My partner, Kayla Lovell, and I prepared and researched our country well in advance and collaborated on the position papers to make sure we came up with the best ideas possible,” said freshman delegate, Callie Sloan. “Additionally, having a partner with me made it easier to get working papers and notes passed quickly. Going forward, I want to get on more speakers lists. While I was also trying to write a paper, I wasn’t as engaged in the conversation and didn’t speak as often as I would have liked. While Kayla helped in this process, it’s something to keep in mind for single delegation conferences.”
At the conference itself, two delegations won awards— juniors Emma Reese and Kayla Lovell, who received a second place Position Paper award and senior Paige Tokay and junior Ella Kelly, who received Best Delegate. More than just a competition, Asia Challenge was a learning experience for many young delegates, as well as a sign to continue with Model UN, no matter how difficult it may be. It is the groundwork for future star delegates, and hopefully many awards in Norwin’s upcoming years.
“I found myself falling in love with Model UN just by going to Asia Challenge,” said sophomore delegate, Sophia Tokay. “Before, I thought that Model UN wasn’t for me, but the truth was that I didn’t understand what I was doing. Asia Challenge was my third conference, and I’m positive that more will come after it. Mrs. Sturm, the club advisor, was definitely right by saying that you have to put yourself out there in order to enjoy the conference. My partner Haley Bongartz and I tried our hardest to raise our placards and to speak as much as possible. We were even able to pass both of our resolutions. I think that the Asia Challenge was a necessary conference for me because it engendered a new found love for the club while also giving me a way to improve my skills.”
