Model UN team takes Hood College conference by storm

On January 6, over 300 students came together at Hood College for the annual Hood Model UN conference. At this, conference students served as ambassadors for the countries they represented and argued on previously decided topics. The goal was to arrive at a solution that works for most represented countries, through much negotiating and consensus. Delegates receive their assigned topic and country well in advance and spent many hours researching their position.

Conferences are held around the world in locations such as Germany and Ecuador. Many of these international conferences are hosted by The International Model United Nations Association (IMUNA), a non-profit organization. This particular conference that is held at Hood College has been occurring annually for the last 13 years. The event was sponsored and hosted by Frederick Public Schools, and there were only two schools attending from out of the county, including Poolesville. The conference included Security Council, General Assembly simulations, as well as specialized committees. This year students mainly argued about population, climate and resource issues; religious freedom; narcotics trafficking; and journalists’ safety. In addition to participating in these discussions, delegates were also able to hear from guest speakers: Hood College Provost Dr. Debbie Ricker, US Department of State Foreign Service Officer John Fer and FCPS Superintendent Dr. Theresa Alban.

This was only the second year where students from outside Frederick County were permitted to receive awards at the conference, and the result was shocking. Co-Captain Laurel Kim stated that “Poolesville delegates swept the awards in the ceremony.” This was a major achievement for the team, as over a dozen delegates received awards ranging from “Best Delegate” to “Best Impersonation of the Histrionics of a Particular Nation”. Co-captain Laurel Kim herself received “Best Delegate”.