By Kate E. Salute
The Model U.N., taught by Social Studies teacher Nick Marino started last year as a club with a request from a student for there to be some sort of debate class. With the popularity of the club, Social Studies Chair Vincent Romano thought it would make a fascinating class. ³It¹s a great opportunity for the students and they really seem to enjoy it. There are 27 students in the class now and next year we will have 40.² The class is open to all students in all grades.
As the bell rings Marino takes a seat to observe his students in action. He rarely interjects as Talisa Carter, a confident, capable MHS senior and the class moderator brings the mock Model U.N. to session by banging the gavel on the podium, asks for decorum and announces that the subject of the day would be first world countries helping third world countries and whether it is a problem or if it should always happen. The objective of the students is not to purvey their own opinions but instead that of the countries they are assigned to represent which takes much research and preparation. Representatives for Iraq and the U.S. were not present for this debate though the Philippines, Great Britain, Spain, South Africa, Libya, Australia, Columbia and Afghanistan were each represented and brought valid concerns and creative proposals to the debate.
A representative from Spain suggested that a standard be made to figure out what classifies a country as third world though the moderator pointed out that no country would want to fall in the third world category.
About a dozen students from the class attend competitions to represent Malverne¹s Model U.N. So far, the young program has ventured to Rutgers University in New Jersey as well as Philadelphia, PA to compete.
Model Congress
West Hempstead¹s Model Congress Club, moderated by teacher Chad Hanna, hosts a one day event in which students in grades 9 to 12 are invited to present, pass, fail and amend bills on a range of issues from homosexual marriage in the U.S. to freedom of speech and freedom of the press with a wacky stop at polygamy.
The 70 students that participated in the general session of the Model Congress for mere interest and no credit, had the opportunity to stand up in front of their peers and engage in healthy debates on current, hot-button topics. Each student was given the title of senator for the day and similar to the U.S. Congress, there were numerous committees to cover foreign affairs, civil rights, drugs, alcohol and tobacco, health education and welfare, human rights, science, space and technology.
Seniors Charles Hanna and Emily Visone co-chair the club and the days events providing an educational and fun experience for their fellow students, as well as lunch.
During the general session a bill to make homosexual marriage legal was passed. One ³senator² argued that there should be no distinction in the term used for the relationship between a man and a woman and that of a same sex couple, ³[homosexuals] should not just have legal unions, they should have marriages, the term should not be retained to a man and a woman.²
The wackiest of the bills was the Polygamy Bill which was amended to read, ³whereas the population is declining and the fate of the human race is at risk, matrimony should not just be limited to one person at a time.² The failed bill would have allowed for a maximum of five spouses of any sex.
The day came to an end with a bill to outlaw the freedom of speech and freedom of the press during times of war physically divided the house to opposite side of the auditorium. The bill provided for protesters to be jailed and tried for treason and for all media releases to be screened by the government prior to release. This bill failed by an overwhelming majority of students upholding the First Amendment.
