One student had a goal, to create an elite group of Jesuit students who share a common love for politics. The Model UN club is a newly founded organization, started by President Henry Ainsworth ’16, whose goals are to “receive recognition for the prestige of the Jesuit Program,” and to “compete on an international level.” The club was started this year in order for “those interested in world politics to be able to interact with like-minded people,” said Ainsworth. As of now, the club is merely trying to get a feel for what to do at a Model UN conference. This includes how to write position papers and display proper etiquette when promulgating an argument.
An avid supporter and member of the club, Samuel Powell ’17 had this to say about the club: “I joined the club because I’ve always been interested in the UN and how it functions. Also, over the years the UN has significantly lost much of its appeal and political power. I believe that if we have this club, then we bring more awareness of the UN to Jesuit and its benefits to the world.” Sam has the personal goal of “[preparing] hard and [performing] well in the competitions,” a goal that expresses the value of the club and the love he has for this tremendous extra-curricular activity.
I spoke to the club moderator, Mr. Brandon Bub, and his admiration for this club was prevalently shown: “I was approached by one of my Junior Students, and he brought the idea up to me last semester and brought to my attention that almost every other school in the area has a Model UN club, and it seemed almost as an omission that we didn’t. So we established a group of six or seven students. We meet regularly after school. A lot of what we are doing right now is trying to learn more about protocol and how to actually do well in a conference. And within this semester or next we’d actually like to start competing in some conferences.”
The Model UN club is a “fantastic club for those who love politics and want to discuss them further with people with similar interests,” Mr. Bub went on to say. The Model UN club can teach students valuable research techniques and other helpful skills that will better their academic life, while at the same time allowing them to learn about something they are truly interested in.
As of now, the Model UN club is looking for new members, no evaluation necessary. Anyone who wants to join will be allowed to partake in the club activities. If you are interested in joining, contact Henry Ainsworth or Mr. Bub.