Students get political at model UN

Two Yorkton students represented a country from the other side of the world at a gathering of like-minded youths.

Yorkton Regional High School students Ashten Miller (grade ten) and Laura Gillis (grade nine) attended the Winnipeg Model United Nations Assembly (MUNA) earlier this month.

“It was tons of fun,” Miller said.

MUNA was held at the Mennonite University in Winnipeg from May 3-6. It attracted hundreds of high school students from Manitoba and Saskatchewan.

YRHS has sent students to MUNA for years. Susan Onda, a teacher at YRHS, organized this year’s trip, encouraging Miller and Gillis to participate.

“I went last year and I loved it,” Miller said.

When they arrived at MUNA, Miller and Gillis socialized with their fellow participants. Teams were assigned countries to represent for a mock United Nations assembly. Miller and Gillis represented Mali.

The students discussed resolutions and amendments with other UN countries. Military and social issues were debated as the participants strove for happy compromises.

“The whole [thing] teaches problem-solving skills,” Miller said.

The crowded-event was intimidating, but it gave the students a chance to break out of their comfort zones and speak their minds.

“You’ve got to get out there if you want to make things happen,” Gillis said.

“It was nerve-wracking to...put myself out there,” Miller said. “In the end, I learned a lot of social networking skills.”

Miller and Gillis plan to return to MUNA next year. They enjoyed the educational and social elements of the event.

“My favourite part was meeting new people,” Gillis said. “You make good friends.”

“I would love to do it again,” Miller said. “It was a super awesome opportunity.”

The Yorkton Rotary Club sponsored their trip.