The 7th year of the Model United Nations (MUN) club at Mount Madonna School (MMS) got underway recently with a conference at Stanford University. Seven MMS high school students participated: Alyssa Feskanin, Lena Wiley, Lexi Julien, Renata Massion and Zoe Kelly, 12th; Isabella Bettencourt, 10th; and Indigo Kelly, 9th, along with honorary member Lekha Duvvoori.‘The best part about Model U.N. is the variety of committees and situations that the students are put in each year at the conferences,’ observed parent Kaye Feskanin, who has attended the conferences with MMS students for five years. ‘Some years, students are participants in a crisis committee and are transported back in time to the French Revolution or a civil war and expected to take on the role of that person. They research the time period and then react in character throughout the weekend.’
Student participants reflected on the conference:
‘This Stanford MUN conference was the most exciting one yet,’ said senior Renata Masson, a four-year participant. ‘I was on a crisis committee, with the delegates largely in charge of the action (including kidnapping, witchcraft accusations, and even a marriage proposal) surrounding the Wars of the Roses. It was amazing having some of my closest friends there with me to talk about the craziness of our action-packed days. MUN is also a unique way to meet new people from all over the globe and hear their stories and perspectives.’
‘The committees were active and full of excitement, filled with intellectual debate and interactive crises like the kidnapping of members of your committee (the organizers go all out: sometimes they raid your room with water guns and drag someone out of the room in a full-on military coup),’ shared classmate Lexi Julien. “This year, I was lucky enough to be on a crisis committee about the Civil War. I was on the Union side, and throughout the committee we rewrote history as we created our own solutions to the problem of a divided America. I even ran for president during elections, although I was tragically disqualified when my character was revealed as being a Canadian citizen!’
The MMS MUN students usually participate in a spring conference hosted by the University of California at Davis. Although this coming spring the seniors will be away at that time (travelling to India through the Values program), Kaye Feskanin says an opportunity exists for freshman, sophomores and juniors to participate at Davis, if there is a parent willing to coordinate and take the lead. She is offering to help an interested parent work through this process.
‘Davis is a great introductory assembly,’ said Kaye Feskanin. ‘It’s more low-key than Stanford and would be a great starting spot.’
‘MUN has been one of my favorite activities throughout high school, filled with opportunity for growth in so many areas,’ added Julien. ‘It has taught me about foreign policy, public relations, and how to come to an agreement on issues that are larger than life and have many conflicting sides.
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Contact: Leigh Ann Clifton, Marketing & Communications,
Nestled among the redwoods on 355 mountaintop acres, Mount Madonna is a safe and nurturing college-preparatory school that supports students in becoming caring, self-aware and articulate critical thinkers, who are prepared to meet challenges with perseverance, creativity and integrity. The CAIS and WASC accredited program emphasizes academic excellence, creative self-expression and positive character development. Located on Summit Road between Gilroy and Watsonville.
