The JCCC Model United Nations team received three awards for its portrayal of Canada at the 2012 Mid-West Model United Nations Conference St. Louis February 15-18, 2012. The Outstanding Delegate Choice Award plus Outstanding Position Paper Award went to Ben Brown (Mission, KS) for his work on the Commission of Sustainable development regarding the issues of “Environmental, Social and Economic impacts of the Mining Industry and Prevention of International traffic in Toxic and Dangerous Products.” The Position Paper Award is presented in recognition of Johnson County’s pre-conference preparation. The position paper serves as a blueprint for building consensus and formulating and negotiating workable draft resolutions to resolve issues.

Honorable Mention Award went to Aaron Haffey(Prairie Village, KS) for his portrayal of Canada’s position on the Commission on Science and Technology committee regarding the issues of “Intellectual Property Rights in Encouraging Technology transfer,” and “the role of science and technology for development.” 

JCCC students competed against other Universities and Colleges from across North America. In addition to the above, the JCCC teams success is attributed to Megan Willard (Olathe, KS), Aizhan Tazhigulova (Almaty, Kazakhstan), Jason Sandoy (Lenexa, KS), Benjamin Tomlin (Lawrence, KS ) Matt Lantz (Overland Park, KS), Merrideth Barlett (Olathe, KS), Kim Luhr (Olathe, KS), Elvira Babaeva (Novoaltaysk, Russia) Gaelyn McGhee (Shawnee, KS) , James Khalif (Overland Park, KS), Joe Gideon (Overland Park, KS), Xian Jin (Kansas City, MO), Joe Siebert (Shawnee, KS) ( and Dr. Brian Wright (team advisor) Dr. Wright Secretary by Board of Directors of the Midwest Model United Nations. 

Additionally, former JCCC student and team member Brandon Bezner (Overland Park, KS) was the 2012 Mid-West Model United Nations Conference Secretary General and Samantha Poetter (Paola, KS) was the 2012 Under-Secretary General of Administration. Samatha Poetter was selected to be the 2012 Under Secretary General of the Mid-West Model United Nations Conference. The Secretary General, Under-Secretary General, and Under-Secretary General for Administration are responsible for organizing and managing the Mid-West Model United Nations Conference.

 

Kim Luhr “This was my first Model UN conference; it was an incredible experience particularly the opportunities to develop my people and diplomacy skills.”
Merrideth Bartlett “undoubtedly this conference was an incredibly enriching learning experience and I met wonderful people.”

 

Jason Sandoy “this experience lets you see that there are others who think about politics as much as I do.”

Matt Lantz “This conference reminded me of the diverse applications learned that can be important in my life, such as engaging others, compromising to reach a common goal, and practicing awareness to global issues.”

 

Joe Gideon “This is an experience gained skill that transfers well. A good Model UN’er is a hard worker, a good student and friend.”

 

Aaron Haffey:  “Learning about the complexity of the United Nations was a challenging yet intellectually awarding experience.”

 

Gaelyn McGhee “The in-depth conversations among students made this event a life learning experience.”

 

Elvira Babaeva “After look discussion the committee came to a mutual agreement. I learn about diplomatic strategies including giving good speeches, actively participating in discussions, and writing resolutions. It was fun to see the resolution was passed by consensus.”

 

Megan Willard “This was a fantastic learning experience. I had never been so intellectually challenged to do my best. I look forward to taking the necessary steps to improve and prepare for future conferences.” 

 

Ben Brown “As delegate we took a diplomatic approach to build consensus on resolutions. In the process we learned the challenges of international diplomacy.”

 

Model United Nations allows students to understand the international issues at the United Nations and at the same time build skills in public speaking and diplomacy. More than 600 students participated in this conference, proposing resolutions dealing with world issues. The issues discussed range from peace-keeping and human rights to economic development, and the plight of children. The conference is helping students to further understand global issues and international relations. This forum allows students to discuss global concerns in an atmosphere that is similar to that of the United Nations.

 

The JCCC Model UN team will next attend the National Model United Nations Conference in New York held at the United Nations March 30 to April 6, 2012 where they will represent the country of Kenya. This conference is an exceptional educational opportunity for JCCC students and a chance to highlight the school’s academic excellence.