On September 27th, North Broward’s Model United Nations (MUN) team attended their first conference of the year, JAGMUN, at Pembroke Pines Charter High School. North Broward earned four awards, three of which were earned by students brand-new to MUN! These new participants are the foundation of the team and are the future of this decorated program.
Model United Nations is an activity in which students are assigned a nation to represent in a mock UN assembly, with a range of committees and topics. For example, the topics at the most recent conference were Defending Human Rights in Carceral and Censored Societies, Maritime Chaos and Stateless Coasts, and Addressing Piracy in the Red Sea. During the conference, delegates must give speeches on subtopics for their committees and work together with other delegates to form a resolution that solves the issues addressed.
The first conference that a student participates in is often one of the most crucial throughout their high-school Model UN journey. It allows students to acknowledge the level they are at, and learn how they can improve. The coach of North Broward’s team, Mr. Dario Prepelitchi (known best by his students as Mr. P), sat down with us to share his thoughts on the rookies’ performance and his experience coaching. Mr. P reflects, “…if they think constructively, they will observe what the best delegates do in their committees and learn to take parts of that to emulate for later conferences.” He believes the first conference is a major step in growing into an excellent delegate. Mr. Prepelitchi’s guidance is invaluable to the experience of all members on the team, and the countless lessons he has shared will continue to benefit delegates long into the future.
As our school celebrates the four award wins at JAGMUN, we had the opportunity to meet with the award-winning delegate, Issah Sheikh. Issah won a diplomatic commendation award in his committee, and he is one of the rookies who exceeded expectations. Issah believes that his win stemmed from his consistent participation and determination; he shares, “Because JAGMUN is a beginner competition, asking questions is important, and the judges like that.” Issah didn’t let his rookie status keep him from being confident and strategic, which are the qualities of an outstanding delegate. We look forward to hearing about more accomplishments from the Model UN team throughout the year! Good luck, Eagles!
