Model UN has kicked off for this year, with training beginning mid-September. This club is an extracurricular activity in which students simulate UN committees by acting as United Nations delegates—each representing a country and its interests. They meet with other schools to discuss and address real-world global concerns. It helps students develop public speaking, debating, and leadership skills. Recently, participation and performance have increased significantly, with much larger numbers in both areas compared to last year.

“[Model UN] highlights students’ abilities and skills as they prepare for the future, potential college, their college major, and getting out into the workforce and dealing with people because they’re able to hone in on those speaking and presentation skills and research as well,” Theresa Bramhall, Social Studies teacher and Model UN club director, said.

Last year, Model UN had a relatively low attendance, with about 4-6 regular members. Now, participation has nearly tripled, with about 15 active attendees going to conferences and engaging in discussions. Despite their low member count, Model UN’s performance has grown by over 200% compared to 2024.

“One of the biggest things that we focused on as executive members this year is growing our engagement and participation in the club,” Hannah Wussow (12), Model UN Secretary General and President, said. 

The club has seen significant success, winning multiple awards at conferences. With the growth of the Model UN, club members are going to nationals for the first time. At these meetings, there are many opportunities to be nominated. Ranging from a variety of categories, numerous members have won and qualified for these honours.

“At every single conference we’ve attended this year, we’ve had at least two people qualify to win as either best delegate or outstanding delegate, which is really high performing for a club, even though we’re on the smaller size,” Wussow said.

Gallery • 3 Photos

Witness Lee (9), Dolev Leshem (12), Jerry Hoong (12), Shalom Mathewos (12), Nathan Chung (11), Hannah Wussow (12), Samantha Brassell (11), Danya Chybli (10), Ryann Owens (11), Leticia Yabar (11), Jacob Hawat (12), and Sulayman Faal (12) at SUNMUN Kent Denver Meet on October 4th, 2025.

Another award that nominees have won is the Position Paper Award. Position papers are an essential part of Model UN. This document outlines a country’s stance on a particular matter, includes extensive research, and serves as a reference for debates. It entails specific policies, solutions, and perspectives from that country’s government. 

“Position papers are an essential part of Model UN,” Jacob Hawat (12), Deputy Secretary General and Vice President, said. “You can get awarded for your position paper at every conference. The position paper, however, isn’t just for the Position Paper Award, but is the key to success at Model UN conferences. The position paper establishes a model for your designated country, and with a strong position paper comes a strong delegate.”

Global circumstances are then discussed during mock United Nations simulations. Each delegate represents their country’s beliefs and stance on the topic. The representatives explore real-world affairs to meet their country’s needs, including economic concerns, sustainability, and infrastructure. Occasionally, they explore more abstract concepts that address potential problems in the future.

“There was a Star Wars themed topic that addressed an intergalactic issue in the Star Wars universe, and it was very fun to learn about controversies from another universe,” Hawat said. “The topics vary from conference to conference, but they usually include anything from nuclear disarmament and space exploration to human rights and climate change—relevant topics to current world events.”

Due to increased participation this year, a new role—the presiding officer—has been added to the club. Presiding Officers judge conferences and do not participate as delegates. Other previous positions include: Executive Board, Sponsor, Social Media Specialist, Treasurer, Secretary General, and Deputy Secretary General. The executive board plans meetings, guides new members, and leads discussions. 

“[Being the first group to initiate a Presiding Officer role] is really exciting,” Hawat said. “This accomplishment truly reflects how much this club has evolved in such a short amount of time, and I’m glad to be part of this progress. If I liked teaching fresh delegates before, I absolutely love teaching new delegates about the parliamentary procedure or the flow of a conference.”

Model UN directly impacts Grandview by fostering critical thinking and global awareness amongst students. Communities form both during and after meetings, strengthening connections across participants. When delegates earn awards, Grandview receives recognition for its competitiveness and knowledge.

“Model UN impacts the Grandview community because it helps our students stay very globally focused and minded,” Wussow said. “We’re learning about current events every single day and what’s happening in the world. Students need to be involved with real-world issues.”