The Heritage Model United Nations team started their season winning the Best Large Delegation award at Washington University.
The Washington University Model United Nations Symposium XV (WUMUNS XV) took place Sept. 30 through Oct. 2. Narrowly escaping Hurricane Ian, 25 members of the team along with advisors Mr. Mark Gruskin and Ms. Laura Decelis left Fort Lauderdale Sept. 29 afternoon and took two flights to arrive at St. Louis, Mo.
WUMUNS XV consisted of ten crisis committees, with multiple Heritage delegates in each one. Crisis committees in Model UN involve a group of students thinking on their feet to solve issues as they arise in the most diplomatic and timely way possible. From resolving conflicts during the Nepalese Civil War, to attempting to save multibillion-dollar company Theranos from fraud, to staging coup d’etats to writing the Declaration of Independence, these 25 delegates did it all.
“Despite the stress in committee, I enjoyed getting closer to my friends, especially the junior girls on the trip. WUMUNS was a great learning experience and an awesome start to the MUN year,” junior Melissa Bermudez said.
The awards reflected the following students’ hard work. Sophomore Ian Lumer won Best Delegate. Senior Andrei Codreanu as well as juniors Jordan Antevy and Anya Pinto won Outstanding Delegate. Seniors Hannah Stadtlander, Srijan Deoraj, Rob Gioia and Consuelo Phelan won Honorable Delegate. Juniors Shania Mahmood, Marcus Gonzalez and Aditya Sharma won Verbal Recognition.
Heritage won the Best Large Delegation award, championing the entire conference.
“I’m so proud of these kids for what they accomplished. We brought mostly novices to a very tough conference, but it was their teamwork, their amazing dedication, their support of each other and their efforts that pulled them through,” Mr. Gruskin said.
