Many students are just looking forward to the end of the semester, but you might notice some of your friends packing up their things in preparation of the Model UN trip next Thursday.

Model UN is an extra-curricular activity in which students role play as delegates to the United Nations and simulate United Nations committees where they attempt to solve real world issues with the policies and perspectives of their assigned country. Every year, CCHS’s Model UN student organization takes a trip up to the University of Chicago where they participate in their annual Model UN conference. At this conference, undergraduate students at the University of Chicago help high school attendees polish their public speaking skills, communication skills, and help them become more confident and articulate people.

Model UN conferences worldwide use the same categories of General Assemblies that were established under Chapter IV of the United Nations Charter. The GA (General Assembly) is made up of six different committees. These committees are the Disarmament and International Security (DISEC) committee, the Economics and Financial (ECOFIN) committee, the Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural (SOCHUM) committee, the Special Political and Decolonization (SPECPOL) committee, the Administrative and Budgetary committee, and the Legal committee.

Adam Lahlou, a senior at CCHS, has participated in Model UN for the past 3 years. Adam participates in the DISEC committee at the yearly conference because it is one of the bigger committees and the issues are important to him. When asked about why he participates in Model UN year after year, Adam said, “Because I’ve learned leadership skills, public speaking, and [I] have the opportunity to be more involved in the international world and its problems.”

Model UN is a tremendous student organization for students that comes from all walks of life. Model UN can help students at CCHS with their public speaking and communication skills, as well as help them become more confident and articulate people in preparation for the world after high school.