Student group hosts annual conference for more than 400 high school students
MSU Model United Nations, or MSUMUN, hosted its 10th annual Model UN conference, called Conference X, for 429 high schoolers from 30 Midwest schools. The three-day event, sponsored by MSU James Madison College and ASMSU, was divided into 12 historical and currently operating organizations and councils. The students debated three issues per committee from the perspective of an assigned country, senator or other political leader in their organization. This year, the conference was held on MSU’s campus for the first time, and Wharton said its location almost doubled the number of delegates who attended. She said having the event on campus promotes MSU as a university and the students enjoy feeling a part of the MSU community. “If they’re into basketball, they’re watching that game with MSU students who are cheering right along with them, and you can tell how excited they are,” Wharton said. Another draw for the high school teams included the Michigan Senate committee, which was held for the first time. Monika Johnson, MSUMUN’s chair of the Senate committee and international relations junior, said the issues discussed in the committee hit home with the delegates. “One of the girls said that her mom had been out of a job for three years, so she was especially interested in the economic development topic,” Johnson said.