Glenbrook South Model U.N. presents our 

March ​NEWSLETTER 

 
Our team working diligently at LYMUN (top) and NAIMUN (bottom)! 

 
 

 
 

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NAIMUN Reflection 
NAIMUN, or the North American Invitational Model United Nations, is widely 
considered the most competitive high school Model United Nations conference in the 
world. Hosted by the Georgetown University in Washington D.C., this conference 
brings over 3,000 American and International students together to discuss complex 
global issues. As a reflection for this conference, we asked the students that were 
able to attend some questions about their experience.  
 
● What did you enjoy about the conference?  
○ “The conference was incredibly well organized, the chairs were very 
knowledgeable, and I got to spend a lot of time with my friends!” 
-Angela Shechtman, Junior  
○ “I was in the British House of Commons. This functioned similarly to the 
real British House of Commons, where everyone was jeering and 
shouting. It was the most enjoyable committee I've been in to this day 
even though it was super competitive” - Hansen Punnoose, Junior 
○ “The conference was super exciting because we not only got to 
compete, but we were also able to explore some of the historic 
landmarks that Washington D.C. has to offer” - Kate Brennan, Senior 
○ “NAIMUN runs a fantastic, professional conference. They offered great 
opportunities to explore DC, including a visit to the French embassy! 
NAIMUN makes the MUN experience immersive and inclusive.” - Noah 
Walch, Sophomore  
 
 

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● Were there any challenges you faced, and if so, how did you get around them?  
○ “Being in a large committee was hard when I’m normally in a small 
committee. It was a little intimidating. However, by just diving in and 
attempting to give speeches, I really got the most out of committee!” - 
Izzy Archer, Senior 
○ “Being in an incredibly organized, fast-paced crisis made it difficult for 
Sofia and I to adapt quickly and respond. However, even though we 
weren’t really prepared for the type of committee it would be, we held 
our own by giving speeches early on and finding a unique way to resolve 
the issue in committee.” - Aditya Bhalla, Senior 
○ “Crisis is definitely not one of my strong suits, so being in one of the 
most fast paced and intense crisis committees I have ever seen was a 
huge challenge. That being said, Aditya and I worked to find our way in 
the committee and through situations that we didn’t even understand 
at times” - Sofia Pedrelli, Senior 
○ “If you feel that you have been placed in a bad situation, like a 
non-inclusive merger, it is never too late to get out and end up in a 
much better place than where you began.” -Sophia Kendall, Freshman 
○ “In a committee full of power delegates from well-known schools, it 
was difficult to form a bloc where I didn’t feel threatened by the people 
I was working with. It all shook out in the end, but I went through three 
blocs before I finally settled into a group.” -Maddy McGrath, Senior   
 
 
 

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● What did you learn about yourself, the team, or Model UN?  
○ “I was challenged by the tough competition from many different 
schools, but I also became a stronger delegate by seeing how they 
compete and learning their tactics and skills” - Michael Davis, Junior 
○ “You need to be assertive when in committee and make sure that your 
ideas are being heard and talked about within the group” - Angela 
Shechtman, Junior 
○ “It’s always important to make sure that you let your ideas be heard 
and to never give up in committee especially when there are many 
strong delegates all around you” -Ally Kiwaiko, Junior 
○ “Model UN isn’t a sprint. My partner and I had a bad first committee 
session because we were so far in the back, but we just stuck to what 
we knew and in the long run, everything turned out just fine.” -Kayla 
Zuiker, Senior 
○ “I learned that the best ideas come from collaboration. Our partnership 
had some decent ideas at the beginning, but by talking through the 
solutions with the rest of our team and our bloc, we were able make 
transform these ideas into meaningful and impactful resolutions” 
-Gavin Morse, Senior 
 
 

 
 
 

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GBSMUN V Updates:  
We are incredibly proud to announce that this year's keynote speaker at GBSMUN V 
will be none other than United States Representative Brad Schneider! Traditionally, 
the keynote speaker at a Model UN conference is someone who has had incredible life 
experiences or can offer particular insight on a certain topic or issue affecting our 
world. This year, Representative Schneider will be talking about his experiences on 
the House of Foreign Affairs Committee. According to Representative Schneider's 
website, he is currently in his second term in the U.S. House of Representatives. 
Congressman Schneider has made his number one priority the safety of Americans in 
an increasingly dangerous world while also working with our allies to maintain the 
United States as a global force of good. Throughout his term he looks forward to 
promoting this initiative by working with both sides of the aisle to help the United 
States maintain its role as a leader in the world. Again, we are incredibly grateful to 
Representative Schneider for taking the time to speak at Glenbrook South!  
Aside from attaining our Keynote speaker, our staff has been working diligently to 
complete our Background Guides and post them to our website to provide delegates 
with the information they will need to participate at GBSMUNV on April 6. 
Background guides provide a foundation of information regarding the history, 
current issue, and solutions about a specific issue to give delegates a way to hone in 
on what the committee will focus on. The significant amount of detail and hard work 
over the course of months has created polished Background Guides, bringing us one 
step closer to a successful GBSMUN. Our website can be accessed at 
gbsmunv.weebly.com.  

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Recent Conference Results:  
● NAIMUN (North American Invitational Model United Nations at Georgetown) 
February 14-17, 2019  
Outstanding Delegates: Madeleine McGrath, Gavin Morse, Colin Morse 
Book award recipients: Delaney Gallagher, Ainsley Gallagher,  
Honorable Delegates: Kayla Zuiker, Michael Davis, Ally Kiwaiko, Sophia 
Kendall, Angela Schectman 
Verbal Commendations: Hansen Punnoose, Lizzie Garvey  
● LYMUN (Lyons Township High School) February 23, 2019 
Best Delegates: Carter Kachmarik, Elena Pauker, Colin Morse, Hansen 
Punnoose 
Outstanding Delegates: Max Kassner, Delaney Gallagher, Anne Ribordy, 
Maddy McGrath, Elizabeth FInley 
Honorable Delegates: Gabi Bellows 
● MUNI (University of Illinois) March 08-10, 2019 
Best Delegates: Delaney Gallagher, Colin Morse 
Outstanding Delegates: Jason Leszynski, Michael Davis and Elana 
Pauker, Maddy McGrath and Ally Kiwaiko, Anthony Travlos and Olivia 
DiMattia 
 

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Honorable Delegates: Sofia Pedrelli and Kayla Zuiker, Sara Bhaidani and 
Justin Leszynski,  
Verbal Recognition: Anthony Valiaveedu, Noah Walch, Sarah Ordway and 
Claire Hershenhouse, Gavin Morse and Angela Schectman 
 
​MUNI Outstanding Delegation Award 2019: Glenbrook South High School  

 
Upcoming Conferences: 
● GBSMUN V - April 6 - Glenbrook South's own conference! Contact Maddy 
McGrath or Delaney Gallagher if you would like to help out or participate as a 
delegate.  
Parents: Please contact Mary Ellen McGrath ​(​maryellenm8@gmail.com​) ​if 
you would like to help at GBSMUN V or make a contribution to conference 
needs. Your support has been great this year, and is deeply appreciated!  
 
● NUMUN - April 11-14 Northwestern University (Need 36 delegates) Our last 4 
day conference of the school year!  

 
 

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Our team in front of the Lincoln Memorial and French Embassy 

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ON TO GBSMUN V!!! We are incredibly excited 

to host a successful conference for 23 Chicagoland 
area schools and 470 delegates! 

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