Issue date: 4/14/08 Section: Campus

On most weekends, David Ehrlich is a junior from Trevor Day School in New York. From Thursday through Sunday, however, Ehrlich became a representative from Russia, representing his nation's views, during Northwestern's Model United Nations conference for secondary schools.

With 380 participants from high schools across the country, the fifth annual conference was the largest Northwestern's Model UN club has ever hosted, said Evan Gray, the conference's secretary-general.

"We have schools mainly from Illinois, but we also have schools from Wisconsin, Ohio, New York and Florida," the Weinberg junior said.

Participants in the conference are assigned nations to represent in simulations of the UN's different groups. During 20 hours of committee meetings over four days, participants debated a far-ranging list of topics, including global economics, drug policy, Internet censorship and greenhouse gas emissions.

The simulations are similar to actual UN meetings as well as sessions of Congress, said Weinberg senior Jillian Nameth, a vice chair for the World Health Organization.

"The delegates not only speak on specific topics, but they also participate in formal caucuses and informal caucuses," Nameth said. "The delegates also talk and form alliances amongst themselves."

The entire conference is run by NU's Model UN club, the members of which moderate debates, supervise participants and handle logistics. About 60 students assisted in the conference.

"We help watch over the conference and monitor the debate," Nameth said.

Conference staff members were also responsible for selecting topics for each session, writing background guides on the topics and maintaining protocol during debates.

Besides raising money to pay for the NU club's trips to college Model UN conferences, the four-day event served as a learning tool for high school students who participated.

"We get the topics a month earlier and we fervently research and learn about things to discuss," said Ethan Ritz, a delegate from Glenbrook North High School in north suburban Northbrook. "We get to know more about the world and the many issues affecting it."

Once delegates gather facts about the topics, they must be able to articulate their arguments to others.

"You definitely learn to become a better speaker and have a stronger vocabulary," Ehrlich said.

While participating in Model UN has educational benefits, students like Erin Barry, a Lincoln Park High School student, said they participate in the event primarily for their own enjoyment.

"It's cool to come here and to know that you're not a loser because you enjoy international politics," she said.

r-luong@northwestern.edu

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