Heights High Model UN team at the Cornell Conference: Abra Lisowski, Rajani Tabor, Elena Rinaldi, Nareus Hardin, Ben Schuster, Anya Chew and Mary Jane Reinhardt, L-R.
May 17, 2017 -- Seven Heights High students attended the annual high school Cornell Model United Nations Conference in Ithaca, New York with nearly 1000 students from 40 states and 10 countries on April 20-23. The conference is a simulation of the United Nations process where students learn about international issues through discussion and debate.
Participants represent a country and serve on committees to discuss issues and propose policy.
- Seniors and Heights High Model Un Co-Presidents Anya Chew and Ben Schuster represented Bolivia on the Social, Humanitarian & Cultural committee.
- Junior Mary Jane Reinhardt represented Pakistan on the Climate Change committee.
- Freshman Elena Rinaldi represented the non-governmental organization World Resources Institute that focuses on sustainable resource management. Her role was to collaborate with country representatives in the committees.
- Freshman Abra Lisowski represented Germany on the Economic & Financial committee.
- Freshman Rajani Tabor represented Albania on the Political & Decolinization committee.
- Freshman Nareus Hardin represented Myanmar on the Disarmament and International Security committee.
“This conference was exciting because there were schools with well-established teams and from all over the world,” said Ben. “We were the only school from Ohio and were proud to represent Heights High, the Cleveland area and the state.”
Ben has been active in the Model UN team since he was in 8th grade and Anya since she was in 6th grade.
“I really liked collaborating with the people on our committee, we came up with some good policy ideas,” said Anya.
Three of the six members on the team were freshmen and were members of their Model UN teams in middle school. “Our freshmen members were awesome,” continued Anya. “They were enthusiastic and definitely knew what they were doing.
Both of the Model UN student leaders recognized their new advisor Maria Francis. “We appreciate her leadership and work on the planning for this conference,” said Anya.