By Mr. Robert Burke, MVA Upper School History Teacher and EagleMUN Sponsor
Twenty-two student delegates representing EagleMUN, the Model United Nations team at Montverde Academy, competed at GatorMUN XXII, hosted by the University of Florida, on January 24-26. Among 20 schools and nearly 1,000 students, MVA students engaged in a wide range of high-level committees and topics.
Model United Nations is an academically competitive speech/debate UN simulation. Students compete as “delegates,” representing countries and individuals on specific topics assigned in a committee. Conferences are hosted by collegiate teams and private organizations around the world.
Sophomore Camelia Berrada Allam earned Verbal Commendation for her role in the Crisis: FC Barcelona. This is the second award this year for Camelia.
Junior Jacob Novis earned the top award of Best Delegate for his role in the Crisis: Gaijin Shogun: Reconstruction of Japan, 1945. Novis was awarded the committee’s gavel as a trophy.
For many of the student delegates, this was their first or second conference. For a few seniors, GatorMUN was their final conference, ending four years of MUN experience.
Looking ahead, 27 students will be attending the next conference, FHSMUN 46 in Altamonte Springs February 21-24. The Secretariat (officers) are also preparing for EagleMUN III, our in-house conference on April 5, open to all Upper School students and students in grades 7 and 8.
For more information about the Model United Nations team at MVA, contact Robert.Burke@montverde.org or Marca.Hoyle@montverde.org.
MVA students competed in the following roles at GatorMUN XXII:
- General Assembly: Representing Countries
- Zara Liles-Henry and Lyla McMillen: Croatia, World Health Organization
- Tomi-Babs-Ajayi: Croatia, Commission on the Status of Women
- Manu Verffel Mayer: Greece, Disarmament and International Security
- Ayo Ogunniyi: Croatia, Disarmament and International Security
- Emilie Lapouble: Greece, UN Office for Outer Space Affairs
- Elissa Ghanem: Greece, Human Rights Council
- Richard Truong: Croatia, Human Rights Council
- Specialized Committees: Representing People
- Tatriana Hinds: Stitching Sustainably: The Future of High Fashion
- Andrew Borne: Pink Pony Apocalypse: A Small Town Taken Over by Zombies, 2012
- Tracy Pham: Scripts, Strikes, and Solidarity: The 2023 Writer’s Guild of America
- Isabella Salgado: The Football War UNSC Committee
- Eisha Cheema: The NBA Board of Governors in 2011
- Laura Menossi: Byte Me: The Digital Tug-of-War That Changed Music Forever
- Crisis Committee
- Carington Helms: Salem Witch Trials
- Vaasu Gadiparthi: The Cola Wars
- Camelia Berrada Allam: FC Barcelona – Verbal Commendation
- Sophie Ressler: The Republic of Texas, 1836-1845
- Jacob Novis: The Reconstruction of Japan, 1945 – Best Delegate
- Max Zhang: NASA’s Artemis Program, 2030
- Falysha Belvu: The Palace of Cleopatra
- Stellie Bobilin: Ad Hoc: Men in Black
