Several students from the Arkansas School for Mathematics, Sciences and the Arts earned honors at the 52nd Arkansas Model United Nations Conference held at the University of Central Arkansas.
The Arkansas Model UN program is one of the largest high school Model UN conferences in the United States. It is a multi-disciplinary, educational program with the primary goal of providing high school students with a unique opportunity to enhance their communication skills, improve their critical thinking skills and increase their understanding of diplomacy and international politics.
The annual conference provides a setting in which students are able to simulate representatives of various countries throughout the world in the decision-making bodies of the United Nations, according to the program’s website.
Students are assigned countries in order to learn about the social, political and economic systems of their respective countries. They then develop position papers for their country. The students present those papers to the overall United Nations group.
The following students won “Best Position Paper” for their countries:
Thailand — Kimberly Sloan of Harrison, head delegate; Rebecca Parham of Alma; Jarrell Imamura of Conway; Jason Ly of Jonesboro; Amber DiPersia of Hot Springs; Landon Middleton of Bryant; and Jessi Amason of Benton.
Botswana — Austin Brigham of Huntington, head delegate; Cammie Nauden of Augusta; Chris Jaeger of Leslie; Savannah James of Harrison; Kyarha Meadows-Russell of Little Rock; Bushra Sardar of Maumelle; and Joanne Lee of Gosnell.
Angola — Carly Collins of Jonesboro, head delegate; Brock Rigsby of Crows; Minjeong Seok of Jonesboro; Gracie Musgrove of Dover; and Rachel King of Pocahontas.
Dominican Republic — Doyle Smith of Bismarck, head delegate; Sani Tripathi of Conway; Tenzing Briggs of Jasper; and Gwen Kudabeck of Hot Springs.
Albania — Lauryn White of Little Rock, head delegate; Kendall Sanders of Little Rock; Te’ya Mitchell of Little Rock; Josiah Dalencourt-Richards of Barton; and Lauren Capes of Booneville.
Two students received honorable mention awards for individual performances at the conference. Doyle Smith received honorable mention for “Best Delegate Environmental Council,” and Chris Jaeger received honorable mention for “Best Delegate SPECPOL.”
The conference was held in November in Conway.