For one weekend at the University of Delaware, 30 Model U.N. members ceased to be high school students and became honorable delegates tasked with tackling the world’s most pressing matters. Dubbed “HenMUN,” the conference gave all participants the opportunity to choose from a variety of committees such as General Assembly and specialized agencies like Security Council.

“I specifically chose Security Council because it is a fast-paced debating committee which deals with many new kinds of problems at any given time,” said junior Ankit Shingala.

Model U.N. conferences allow members to flex their debating skills and experience an actual committee environment. The conference at the University of Delaware in Newark, DE, took place from Feb. 27, 2015 to March 1, 2015. For months prior, students prepped during after-school practices and research sessions.Still, even with extensive preparation, delegates often had to deal with sudden challenges. Some students in specialized agencies were woken up in the middle of the night to deal with a “Crisis.” In these “Crisis Committees,” they had to remain calm and level-headed in solving breaking issues.

“This kind of conference allowed me to experience the sheer amount of problems which occur in the world and to think of numerous ways to see the problems at hand in the quickest ways possible,” Ankit explained.

Finding effective solutions for these global issues in a timely manner is no small feat. Members were required to show strong public speaking skills, awareness of international issues, and the ability to work well and negotiate with others. Improving these skills is often the reason why many new members go to these conferences.

“With so many new members, we see the conference as a basis for growth,” Model U.N. advisor Mindy Rochman explained. “We hope that the freshmen can learn from the upperclassmen who were on the trip,” she added.

Upperclassmen demonstrated exceptional speaking skills during their committees at the conference and were awarded different honors.

The DMEA team brought back an impressive seven awards. Junior Victor Morell received Best Delegate. Senior Julia Tache, and juniors Esteban Coeller and Dominica Dul  received Outstanding Delegates. Juniors Olivia Gong and Dylan Mysijiak, and sophomore Christopher Haggar were awarded Honorable Mentions. But even more than medals, the team brought back a greater sense of global awareness.

After the delegates debated diligently for hours, they were rewarded with fun nightly activities. The ice cream social on the first night provided the students with a chance to wind down and get acquainted with the other Model U.N. members. The second night was memorable for the delegate dance.

“Model U.N. was a phenomenal time; I definitely had fun debating in front of my friends,” said freshman Kyle Castillo. “At first speaking was frightening, but later it becomes easier as it goes and the dance was the highlight of the weekend,” Kyle concluded.