Model UN returns from Iowa Youth Symposium

CF’s Model United Nations attended the Iowa Youth Symposium in Des Moines for the first time two weeks ago. 

For those unfamiliar with how MUN works, it’s essentially a smaller-scale simulation of real United Nations proceedings. Students group up to represent different countries, write position papers and learn about international relations and diplomacy. 

English and ELP teacher Kailyn Bettle is the faculty adviser for MUN. She was joined by seven students at the symposium: Abby Peters, Natalie Garcia, Joshua Dowd, Kaitlynn Willis, Meghan Ball, Max Bryden and Shojoon Naseri.

“Last year, the team went and just watched the event to learn more about Model UN, so it was a lot of fun to be able to participate this year,” Bettle said. 

MUN means different things to different people; some enjoy the hands-on learning approach of the simulated meetings, while others view it as an exercise in critical thinking. For Bryden, it’s a way to stay in touch with current events. 

“I’ve really enjoyed Model UN because it gives students like myself permission to engage with real topics confronting the world,” Bryden said. “I get to go out and discuss real topics that affect us, and it’s a reminder to me that my peers and I do have a real stake in the future.” 

For Naseri, a first-time participant, MUN was an introduction to law and politics, which she hopes to study in the future. “I like the people and experience entirety, but if I had to choose a [favorite] thing, it would probably be the moderated caucus. Even if I didn’t speak much, I still loved seeing the debates and how some even stood by me and my partner’s amendments.” 

Naseri said the challenges of her involvement are worth it. “Though stressful, it was a lot of fun for me, especially the first day. Even if I didn’t fully understand the terms and actions to use, I caught on quickly. It’s a great experience for anyone who wants to help current issues in the government, and get a glimpse of how it works.”