On a snowy weekend in mid-February, 20 members of Viewpoint’s Model United Nations Club (MUN) traveled to Washington, D.C. to participate in the 47th Annual North American Invitational Model United Nations Conference (NAIMUN).

Mark Herr ’11, participating in the conference for the first time, remarked that “Going to NAIMUN is like being transported to an alternate universe where the safety, security, and interests of a foreign country, your new country, ride on your shoulders. It is a place where age and seniority have no impact on how you are viewed. You are looked at by your fellow delegates based on your knowledge, preparation, and enthusiasm for the issues.”

The conference began with a keynote address by Kathleen Sebelius, U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, in which she addressed the 2,000 participants on topics that included the relationship between health policy and international relations, and the status of the H1N1 flu pandemic.

After spending two months conducting research, Viewpoint’s MUN members served as delegates at the conference, representing Kenya and Guyana in simulated sessions of committees that included the World Trade Organization, the United Nations Population Fund, and the Pan American Health Organization. Topics discussed ran the gamut, including women’s rights in war zones, efforts to resolve the Palestinian question, and the relationship between climate change and international security. Simulated crisis situations challenged the students to use diplomacy to resolve unanticipated conflicts that arose in the course of their committee sessions. Several delegates were even involved in a historical simulation of the 1789 meeting of the Estates General in France

Guest speakers in the committee sessions included professors from area universities and scholars in the fields of international security, economics, and human relations. One of Viewpoint’s delegates, Arjun Chopra ’10, was singled out for an award in his committee, the World Intellectual Property Organization. All of the students benefited from the opportunity to discuss important global issues and work toward their resolution.

In addition to presentations by Georgetown University students and a Delegate Dance on Saturday night, the memorable weekend included a visit to the National Mall, where Viewpoint students were treated to a winter wonderland that was the product of two blizzards that hit the area prior to the Conference. The students were accompanied by Model UN Club Advisor Susan Strumpf, and Upper School Teachers Paul Bastedo and Lisa Smith.