By HILARY MATHESON

The Daily Inter Lake

Over two days, 353 students assumed the role of United Nations ambassadors to resolve international conflict at the 48th annual Model United Nations High School Conference.

Success in the Model United Nations hinges on negotiating with adversaries and allies alike through effective debates, speeches, caucuses, drafted resolutions and votes.

Students from Columbia Falls, Flathead and Glacier high schools plus Flathead Valley home schools earned top honors during the conference at the University of Montana in Missoula Nov. 25 and 26.

This was the first year Columbia Falls and Glacier have brought teams to compete at the conference.

Ten Columbia Falls students, advised by Tara Norick, who is also head speech and debate coach at the school, represented India, Nigeria and Qatar. Columbia Falls brought home a Distinguished School award by finishing in the top 20 percent of schools with small delegations.

“I didn’t know what to expect, but it was an awesome experience. Instead of just debate, it’s about coming to a consensus,” Norick said. “These are our future leaders.”

Eleven Glacier students led by adviser Beau Wright represented Mali, Myanmar, Greece and the United States. Wright has previous experience advising Model United Nations teams in former schools.

Glacier was recognized as an Honorable School — the top 30 percent — for schools with small delegations. The high school’s U.S. squad was commended in the top 20 percent of countries represented as an Honorable Country Delegation.

Lauren Gustafson, the new adviser for the Flathead High school team, took 23 students who represented Afghanistan, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Fiji, Finland, South Africa and Luxembourg.

Flathead High also was recognized as an Honorable School. Flathead’s Finland squad also finished in the top 20 percent with an Honorable Country Delegation.

Fourteen home-school students from the Flathead Valley represented Austria, Chile, Libya and South Korea.

Students participated in one of five committees and focused on different areas. Committee and topics included: the Security Council, international peace and security; General Assembly Plenary, all topics; General Assembly First Committee, disarmament and security; General Assembly Second Committee, economic and financial and General Assembly Third Committee, social and humanitarian.

At the end of the conference, judges selected the top 20 seniors based attendance, performance and participation. The top five seniors were offered $1,000 scholarships to attend the University of Montana.

First-time competitor Ashlee Buller of Glacier ranked second. Buller, who helped represent the United States, also received a Distinguished Delegate award for her efforts on the Security Council. She also earned a Distinguished Position Paper award. 

Buller said she was pleasantly surprised to do so well. She credits her performance to previous experience in debate and parliamentary procedure. She added that representing the United States helped speed up the research process and gave students a considerable amount of veto power.

“As a squad we were elated to represent the U.S. The United States is intrinsically powerful in the United Nations, specifically in the Security Council where it has veto power. We had a lot more say in what happened during the sessions than we would have representing a small country like Togo,” Buller said.

Her passion for international affairs has steered her dreams in the direction of working for the United Nations or an embassy.

“I’m fascinated by the way countries interact with each other to form diplomatic (or not so diplomatic) solutions to global issues, so much so that I want to make a career out of it as I plan on majoring in international affairs in college,” Buller said in an email.

Glacier senior Westley Hughes ranked 10th among the top 20 seniors. He helped represent the United States. Hughes achieved an Outstanding Position Paper award, which means he placed among the top 1 to 2 percent. In addition, he was commended as an Honorable Delegate for his skills in the General Assembly Plenary.

In 15th place was Columbia Falls senior Allison Foust. Foust was among the top 10 percent with a Distinguished Position Paper Award.

Flathead junior Wyatt McGillen proved his finesse representing Finland with an Outstanding Delegate award earning a place in the top three students of the General Assembly First Committee in addition to having an Outstanding Position Paper ranking in the top 1 to 2 percent.

Columbia Falls junior Meredith Stolte raced to the top and was one of two students to earn an Outstanding Delegate award in the General Assembly Third Committee representing Nigeria.

Gustafson was impressed by the abilities delegates showed throughout the conference.

“Students that participate in Model United Nations have the opportunity to not only better their research skills but really take on the role of understanding what their countries are facing politically, economically and socially,” Gustafson said.

Following is a list of individual delegate awards: 

General Assembly Plenary

Distinguished Delegates (top 10 percent in the committee)

• Colin Norick, Columbia Falls High School, India

• Colter Norick, Columbia Falls High School, Nigeria

Honorable Delegates (top 20 percent in the committee)

• Westley Hughes, Glacier High School, U.S.A

General Assembly first committee

Outstanding Delegates (top 1-2 percent in the committee)

• Wyatt McGillen, Flathead High School, Finland

Honorable Delegates (top 20 percent in the committee)

• Seth Wagner, Flathead Homeschool, South Korea

General Assembly Second Committee

Distinguished Delegates (top 10 percent in the committee)

• Samuel Williams, Flathead High School, Finland

General Assembly Third Committee  

Outstanding Delegates (top 1-2 percent in the committee)

• Meredith Stolte, Columbia Falls High School, Nigeria

Distinguished Delegates (top 10 percent in the committee)

• Cody Phillips, Columbia Falls, Qatar

Honorable Delegates (top 20 percent in the committee)

•  Kelsey Weed, Flathead High School, Afghanistan

• Sophia Skwarchuk, Flathead High School, Luxembourg

• Rebecca Bruce, Flathead High School, South Africa

Security Council

Distinguished Delegates (top 10 percent in the committee)

• Ashlee Buller, Glacier High School, U.S.A

Position paper awards

Outstanding Position Papers (top 1-2 percent)

• Westley Hughes, Glacier High School, U.S.A, General Assembly Plenary

• Wyatt McGillen, Flathead High School, Finland , General Assembly One

Distinguished Position Papers (top 10 percent)

• Ashlee Buller, Glacier High School, U.S.A, Security Council

• Colin Norick, Columbia Falls High School, India, General Assembly Plenary

• Brooke Sample, Flathead Homeschool, Austria, General Assembly Plenary

• Justin Benjamin, Flathead Homeschool, Chile, General Assembly Plenary

• Devon Zander, Glacier High School, Myanmar, General Assembly One

• Miranda Hoffman, Glacier High School, U.S.A, General Assembly One

• Annalise Guy, Flathead Homeschool, Chile, General Assembly One

• Nicole Brockman, Flathead Homeschool, Austria, General Assembly Two

• Sierra Benjamin, Flathead Homeschool, Chile, General Assembly Two

• Annabel Conger, Columbia Falls High School, India, General Assembly Two

• Allison Foust, Columbia Falls High School, Nigeria, General Assembly Two

• Sophia Skwarchuk, Flathead High School, Luxembourg, General Assembly Three

• Miranda Lauria, Columbia Falls High School, India, General Assembly Three

• Meredith Stolte, Columbia Falls High School, Nigeria, General Assembly Three

• Christina Kirchner, Flathead Homeschool, Libya, General Assembly Three

Honorable Position Papers (top 20 percent)

• Harrison McGillen, Flathead High School, South Africa, General Assembly One

• Seth Wagner, Flathead Homeschool, South Korea, General Assembly One

• Isabelle Cuthberson, Flathead High School, Bolivia, General Assembly Two

• Victoria Bennett, Flathead Homeschool, South Korea, General Assembly Two

• Kelsey Weed, Flathead High School, Afghanistan General Assembly Three

• Cody Phillips, Columbia Falls High School, Qatar, General Assembly Three

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or by email at hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.