High schoolers tackle war in in model U.N.

Last weekend's annual model United Nations conference proved to be more exciting than in past years -- this year the 1200 high school students who came to the convention had a real war to deal with. In the annual Ivy League Model United Nations Conference, held at The Wyndham Franklin Plaza Hotel, students from 60 high schools convened last Thursday through Sunday to discuss and find solutions for world problems ranging from the the Persian Gulf crisis to the world drug problem. The International Affairs Association ran the conference, as each high school represented between one and three countries, covering a total of 93 nations. Delegates discussed solutions for both real and hypothetical world conflicts. The tone of debate was much like the real U.N., including serious discussions and the use of official terminology. Leading the discussions were 140 members of the International Affairs Association, who also prepared background papers on the issues discussed. College junior Pauline Schwartz, director of conference affairs, said the conference offered learning opportunities for both experienced delegates and newcomers. College junior Adam Zoia, the secretary-general of the conference, said that the organizers have been preparing all year for the convention. "This convention gives many college students the opportunity to participate in a large scale business-like operation," added Ethan Youderian, special assistant to the secretary-general. "The supervision of more than 1200 people is a great learning experience." This year's conference, the seventh annual, was much larger than previous years, with 1200 delegates versus last year's 800. The conference also saw the addition of the new Visiting Scholars' Program, which brings University faculty from a number of different departments to address the various committees. "We brought the resources, namely the professors, down here," Zoia said. Provost Michael Aiken introduced the conference's keynote speaker, John Washburn, a director in the office of the secretary-general of the United Nations. Aiken used the opportunity to encourage the high school students in attendance to consider applying to the University. Students attending the convention said they were impressed. "The Penn students have been running this very well," said Nathan Nielsen, a first-year delegate. "It says a lot about the quality of people going to Penn." Nielsen said he is considering applying to the University because of the conference.

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