WHS Students Participate in Model UN Conference

Posted on: November 20, 2023

On Saturday, November 18, WHS students participated in the Madison Model United Nations conference at Middleton High School. The Madison Area Model United Nations (MADMUN) Conference is a high school Model UN conference organized and run by students from multiple high schools throughout Wisconsin. The conference is geared towards students of all ability levels (beginner through advanced) and is a great way to kick off the Model UN conference season. Students learn the structure of parliamentary procedure, how to debate and communicate ideas, and how to problem-solve international issues.

Those who participated were Maddison LaHaie, Giulia Ristagno, Carly Boudreau, Xavier Zei, and Emilia Houwers (not pictured).

MADMUN allows its participants to step outside their comfort zones, outside the echo chambers that many of our media algorithms, friend groups, peers, and families often become. By acquiring knowledge about diverse international cultures, policies, and approaches to some of the most pressing topics of our world today, delegates learn valuable lessons in communication, compromise, and empathy.

Students wrote position papers and participated in various issues at MADMUN, ranging from AI in the workplace to Ukrainian Refugees in Italy. Emilia Houwers served as a Co-Chair of the Human Rights Council at MADMUN along with Sam Witt of Lake Mills High School. This leadership role was the first time a WHS student had ever participated in a MADMUN conference as a Co-Chair.