Model UN Accomplishments in 2018
At the recent Hofstra University's Model United Nations Conference, held March 2-4, Sayville’s Model UN participated with fifteen other Long Island and NYC schools to discuss international affairs.
Designed as a simulation with workshops, these annual Model Un conferences at Hofstra help high school students hone their debate skills while networking with like-minded students. As a result of their experiences, not only do the high school students gain insights, they become more knowledgeable about the international political agenda, particularly the United Nations Millennium Development Goals.
At this year’s three-day conference, the twelve participating members of Sayville’s Model UN team were treated to guest lectures from acclaimed news reporter Colum Lynch of Foreign Policy and Hofstra Law Professor Julian Ku. Both discussed current foreign policy issues. In their workshops, the students were asked to focus on the most challenging issues facing our planet today and were given the task of negotiating resolutions as “representatives” from countries all over the globe.
Congratulations to the three Sayville students who won awards for their participation:
- Abigail Sneddon won Honorable Mention for her work as “Japan” discussing the issues of climate change and North Korean food security with the Economic and Financial Committee;
- Jack Dunn won Honorable Mention for his work on the Historical Crisis Committee as Belgium discussing events leading up to World War I; and finally
- Eric Stenzel won Best Delegate—the highest honor—for his work as “North Korea” in the Special Political and Decolonization Committee discussing Kashmir dispute and the ownership of the Diaoyu / Senkaku Islands.
“Should Junk Food Come with A Warning Label?” was the opening topic at Sayville High School’s first annual Persuasive Speech Competition, hosted by Sayville High School’s Model United Nations club and moderated by Advisors LynnAnn Perlin and Sabine Loriston. All grade levels in various Social Studies classrooms competed in two rounds of speeches, with students arguing both sides of the issue.
“Students delivered their speeches in front of a panel of faculty judges,” Ms. Perlin stated, “who were provided with rater sheets for feedback on each student. The top three competitors were then invited to compete in the final round arguing, ‘Does Technology Integration Benefit Education?’ The three finalists were Sophomores Liam Davidson and Jessica Fraccalivieri and Senior Harrison Bench. After an intense final round, Harrison Bench was crowned the winner.”