The Arcadia High School (AHS) Model United Nations (Model UN) team won best large delegation on Mar. 14 at the 3rd annual San Gabriel Valley Conference (SGVMUN), marking their first conference as an official team. SGVMUN was hosted by the Arcadia, San Marino, Temple City, and Westridge Model UN teams, taking place at Temple City High School.
This year, seven different committees were hosted. In the Novice section, Commission on the Status of Women (CSW), UNESCO, and World Health Organization (WHO), and committees are groups you can participate in for each Model UN conference. Disarmament and International Security (DISEC) and Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural (SOCHUM) were from the Mixed section, and the Press Corps and the CRISIS committee in the specialty section of committees.
Our AHS team won eight individual awards in their respective categories. Freshman Jessica Liu, who won the research award in SGVMUN and participated as part of the WHO committee says that the award “represents one’s distinguished ability to write a position paper, which is essentially a research document regarding the specific topic of their committee.”
“I had to submit a position paper discussing the current status quo and solutions to strengthening post-conflict health systems,” Liu added.
Sophomore Sophia Wei, who also won the research award, as well as the honor of Best Delegate, shared her thoughts on the team’s performance.
“Although it was my first time in a crisis committee for a Model UN conference, my committee chairs and organizers were really accommodating and supportive,” said Wei, adding that the team “was able to lead the committee into successful directive and conflict resolution.”
AHS Model UN team members contributed countless hours of effort for this conference win. Ethan Don, the team’s president and a senior at AHS, served for months as one of the conference’s two Secretaries General.
“I’m incredibly proud of our team’s performance at SGVMUN. This year was a transition for us since Model United Nations became an academic team, having previously been a club.” Don said, praising the team’s performance. “Despite only being able to attend one conference this year, our members showed tremendous dedication through their preparations. I’m so proud of how far our team has come and I’m excited to see what they’ll be capable of achieving next year.”
Along with him, senior Srimanvita Kamisetti, junior Emily Santiago Rodriguez, and senior Jessica Soehartono were all AHS members of the conference Secretariat.
Photo courtesy of @arcadiahsmun Instagram
