The BJHS Model UN team competed last weekend at the University of Alabama Tuscaloosa at the University of of Alabama Model UN Conference, or ALMUN for short.

Bob Jones AP Psychology teacher and Model UN Sponsor Michael Hoyle explained, “Students are typically assigned to represent a particular country in a particular committee. The committee has certain topics that are debated and students must debate those topics from the position of their assigned countries. There are also committees that are referred to as crisis committees. The difference is that students in crisis committees represent a person, rather than a country, and have research and become that person for the purposes of that committee.”

Junior Maren Kirkpatrick served on the crisis committee that took 4th place along with senior Payton Gloschat. Kirkpatrick explained, “The committee creators offer us a fictional background guide on the alternative history (as sometimes the scenarios are altered versions of actual historical events) and assigned us fictional characters to play. We have to write a paper beforehand to prove that we understand who our character is. There isn’t much you can do to prepare, a big part of it is getting in the moment and being willing to speak up from your character’s point of view on the impending crisis.”

Model UN provides high school students with important skills for the future. Anyone with a passion for government and history can participate, even if you don’t like public speaking. Kirkpatrick stated, “My favorite thing about [Model UN] is how diverse it is. It gives both introverts and extroverts an opportunity to participate in world politics. For those who have a fear of public speaking, they can work in the press corps where they write articles about world events. For those that are more daring, they can participate in a crisis community or general assembly.” Hoyle elaborates that “Model UN not only teaches students aspects of conducting research, but also allows them to sharpen their debate skills and work to resolve current international issues.   Students learn how to network with others and work together to come up with practical solutions to real-world problems.”

If you’re interested in history or world politics and looking for something that will look great on any resume or college application, consider Model UN! Contact Mr. Hoyle for more information.

Congratulations to:

Marielle Buamgartner – Best News Agency

Best Position Paper – Elise Baumgartner 

2nd Place – Thomas Freeman & Nayeli Gonzalez

3rd Place – Pierce Gardner, Michael Guthrie, Victoria Lee & Tom Teper

4th Place – Payton Gloschat & Maren Kirkpatrick