Model United Nations  sent 23 students to attend the 25th annual William and Mary High School United Nations conference from Nov. 18-20, where they practiced both parliamentary procedure skills and the ability to create hostile takeover situations.

Sponsored by history teacher Brian Vagts, Model UN spends its time discussing world events and learning how to use parliamentary procedure. This practice helps prepare the members for conferences that they attend, which usually total five a year.

“If you’re interested in current events, debate, or modern policy then you should join,” said senior Lindy Westenhoff. “The club is a lot like debate, but less time consuming. It also looks good on your college resume.”

Students who participated in the conference attended committees either individually or in pairs. Each student became a representative for one of the assigned countries, Syria, Iceland, Latvia or Mauritania.

Each committee falls under one of three categories:  novice, general assembly, and specialized agency.

Each category is comprised of three to fourteen committees. Students from high schools all across the country try to resolve to the committee’s respective problems, which may range from the rights of protesters to the delegates’ response to threats to the country.

While many of the committees call for students to represent a country, one group features committees inside the specialized agencies category, which deals with specialized events. Only experienced members attend these committees.

South Lakes participated in a majority of these committees, which ranged from representing the Carthaginians during the second Punic War, to becoming the CEO of the Apple Company.

“I had to represent Sherry Williams of Halliburton.” said senior Model UN secretary general Zainab Khan. “We made business decisions, quelled riots, staged hostile takeovers and got blown up along the way.”

While the conference is known for requiring good manners and parliamentary procedure, as well as requiring students to wear western business attire, it also becomes hectic in the final hours.

“On the last day we get a little silly,” said Westenhoff. “Delegates start to do things that aren’t really intelligent.”

Westenhoff’s committee was resolved when both the Carthaginian capitol and the Roman capital were destroyed by a meteorite, making the war insignificant.

During the last hour of the conference, students are gathered for an award ceremony based on the use of parliamentary procedures during the committees. Then, the leader of the conference handed out four types of awards for each committee.

These awards are known as verbal commendations, honorable delegates, outstanding delegates, and best delegate. For the last three awards the receiver accepts a paper or plague recognizing the achievement.

At this conference, South Lakes delegates received four verbal commendations. Junior Matt Dopsovic accepted an outstandingdelegate award for his performance as a member of the Japanese cabinet in a triple crisis committee.

“One of our delegates was representing Syria in the Arab League,” said Westenhoff. “He spent part of the time trying to get back into the league, then spent the rest of it driving the members crazy, which is something Syria would do. He got an award for it.”

The club continues to meet in room 246 every Monday after school.  Another conference is scheduled for the month of January.