Although many students at Eastern have heard of the Model UN, not many know the purpose of the organization. During the Model United Nations conferences, students role play as delegates and replicate actions and decisions of the real United Nations.

  Eastern hosts this particular conference each year which many schools in South Jersey participate in as well. The two teachers at Eastern who advise the Model UN are Mrs. Palmer, the coordinator for the GT program, and Mr. Picot who teaches math. Eastern’s Model UN team is scheduled to attend Rutgers University’s Model UN Conference (RUMUN) in New Brunswick from November 30th to December 2nd. However, not everyone is eligible to take part in these conferences.

   “It varies by school,” said Senior Cyrena Kokolis, “But at Eastern you must be part of the Gifted and Talented program. Anyone in the GT program can go to local conferences which are typically one day long, and people who try out for the Model UN team can attend weekend-long collegiate conferences.”

    “It’s a great way to gain perspective on the world and learn about current event issues,” said three year participant,  Senior Sonali Garg, “It develops our leadership skills, since you have to be a strong public speaker in a team setting.”

  The last event that Eastern hosted was the South Jersey Model United Nations Conference (SJMUN) which took place on October 21st.