Feature Photo: Roeper Model UN Travels to National Conference in New York

Sixteen members of the Roeper Model United Nations team participated in the National High School Model United Nations conference in New York City March 7-10.

, representing the Republic of Botswanna, was one of more than 200 high schools involved in the conference, and the only Michigan school that attended. The conference drew more than 3,000 students from four continents and a dozen nations, including 300 students from Italy.

The Roeper delegation was led by junior Aaron Bernard, who helped his team prepare for the conference with extensive research. Each delegation wrote two, four-page position papers explaining Botswanna's policy. During the three-day conference, students discussed state-sponsored terrorism, the water crisis in the middle east and promotion of green jobs.

The conference was the final Model UN experience for the team's five seniors: Erik Burbulla, Nathan Flynn, Ruth Lane, Rodger MacArthur and Rebecca Michelson.

Also representing Roeper were juniors Tom Allen, Jacob Dalton, Claire Dennis, Samantha Heiman, Brooke Michelson and Spenser Solys; sophomores Farid AlSabeh, Rachel Nichols, Eli Simons and Levi Teitel.

Highlights of the conference included an opening address by human rights activist Shulamith Koening and a 90-minute briefing at the Botswanna Permanent Mission to the UN by Counselor Phologo Jim Gaumakwe. Students also toured the Museum of Modern Art, Grand Central Station and Rockefeller Center and visited Little Italy and the Ground Zero Memorial.