World politics didn’t daunt Oakdale High School’s Model UN team as they attended Stanford University’s Model United Nations Conference Nov. 12-14. The 19-member OHS team was assigned to be the Russian Federation and came home with some awards.

“We survived many crises involved with world politics stemming from false imprisonment, assassinations, and hostile takeovers,” said team coach Stephen Mauchley. “Some of the positive things achieved were passing some very elaborate resolutions and bringing peace to hostile nations.”

He reported that team member Paul Perrone, representing the Earl of Selborne of the 1775-1783 British Parliament, convinced the British Parliament into naming what is now Georgia and Florida after him, and calling it Selbornia. Mauchley added that Perrone’s ideas and quick thinking earned him the best delegate award, bringing home “the gavel.” He was the OHS team’s sole gavel winner. The team’s other award was a verbal commendation for Alex Dempsey who served on the United States National Security Council.

Along with Perrone and Dempsey, other OHS Model UN team members included Jeremy Melo, Gabrielle Perrah, Alissa Kummer, Dylan Hawksworth-Lutzow, Ryan Gilpin, Thomas Dempsey, Camren Crose, Alex Keyser, JT Vizenor, Austin Clayton, Chandni Mistry, Erika Villa, Kyle Ridenour, Tyler Campbell, and Janki Mistry.

The OHS students also portrayed specific individuals on the executive board of the Time Warner multi-national corporation, the Iranian Cabinet, the Chinese Politburo, and the European Union.

Model UN conferences help students enhance their skills in problem solving, cooperation and coalition building, argumentation, public speaking, debate, negotiation, and research skills. They learn how to write resolutions, how to poke holes in other arguments, and how to compromise. They also learn how the Model UN operates, current events, world history, and international protocols.

The Model UN program is designed to provide students with an authentic simulation of the process, committees and procedures of the actual United Nations.