UN stands for the United Nations, an international organization that works to create harmony between the countries of the world. In some high schools and middle schools they have a club called Model UN, in which participants model some of what they would do if they actually worked at the UN.

Not all Model UN clubs have student leaders, but the student who got the club back up and active again is Nisha Murali (11), who is also a co-captain for Speech and Debate. 

”It’s not so much that I wanted to lead the club so much that I wanted to have a club, and along the way that came to mean leading the club,” Murali said.

As team leader, Murali will get to educate the members on what Model UN is, but also get to participate. 

”I first decided to start Model UN out of a desire to attend competitions myself, and as I looked for a Model UN sponsor and researched Model UN more, I became more convinced that it would be valuable to the school as a whole,” Murali said.

English teacher Kemba Metropoulos is the new club’s sponsor for Model UN. Metropoulos decided to take that role, 

”To foster and support whatever the students want.” Metropoulos said.

Model UN has so many options for students, and it is non competitive so that there is a lot of flexibility with what students can do. 

Grace Song (9) has only attended the first few meetings so far, but she is already looking forward to the,

“actual event and vote and present our resolution.” Song said.

 A resolution is another part of the United Nations simulation, which is another part of the experience students can get from participating.

 Having students participate in Model UN is a great opportunity to open up different opportunities to converse with other schools about real world problems.

For Song, one of the best parts of Model UN for her are the doors it opens. 

”Colleges really like Model UN from what I hear, and there’s also a really good paid internship that could be a really good opportunity,” Song said.

Murali plans to help lead the club and teach what the club is all about through resources she has at her disposal, including her previous leadership experiences.

”Online resources offer ideas for Model UN exercises, and I’ve talked with others in Model UN clubs at their school to understand how to lead practices,” Murali said.

Murali will only have one full year of running Model UN as a student since she currently is a junior. It will be up to other club members to keep the club going which is a goal for Murali. 

”I wanted to create stability so that Model UN continues after I graduate,” Murali said.

Model UN can be what the participant makes of it. It can be fun, a learning opportunity and a chance to meet new people. 

“It’s a good place to come together and learn about things, even if it doesn’t seem interesting at first. International politics are such a staple in our lives, and this provides a low-pressure environment to explore these things,” Murali said.