‘Stood out among the rest’: Dalton Middle wins big at Junior Georgia United Nations Assembly

Published 5:36 pm Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Dalton Middle School students Aida Mingura and Emily Stephens wore traditional kimono robes and kanzashi (Japanese hair ornaments) while offering platters of sushi during their representation of Japan at the Junior Georgia United Nations Assembly last month in Atlanta.

“Sushi is an authentic Japanese cuisine,” Stephens said. “Who doesn’t love chopsticks?”

Their efforts paid off. The students won for Best Global Village Presentation at the assembly that included 12 middle schools representing 68 countries (Junior division) and 18 high schools representing 100 countries (Senior division).

The assembly, offered by the YMCA, is a “simulation of the United Nations that aims to educate students about civics, effective communication, globalization and multilateral diplomacy,” the YMCA website states. Students participate in a session of an intergovernmental organization and act as ambassadors.

“Winning (the award) made me feel the hard work was worth it,” Stephens said.

This was Dalton Middle School’s third year participating. Heather Thomas, an English teacher at the school and adviser to the Dalton Middle team of 32 seventh- and eighth-graders, said the first year the school representatives went to watch and learn.

“The second year we won two awards, and this year we ran away with it, winning four of six awarded,” she said. The team also won awards for Best Female Delegate, Best Overall School and Best Resolution. The team was also advised by teachers Jessica Chiddister, Tina McDonough.and Emma Trew.

Thomas said it took her a minute to realize they won for Best Overall School.

“I was in total shock, but so proud,” she said.

Dalton Middle students represented nations from Brazil, China, Colombia, Italy, Japan, Mauritius, Mexico, Nigeria, the Philippines, the Russian Federation, Senegal and the United States. Each team researched problems plaguing their country, wrote a resolution to present at the assembly and created a visual display related to their country. Students began working on resolutions in November, meeting twice a week, leading up to the assembly.

“We researched each nation represented, (had) collaborative discussion of issues and ways to solve them, or at least bring awareness to them,” Thomas said.

Students learned parliamentary procedures and how to address the president of the assembly, Thomas said. Students separated into committees to prepare for the assembly. During the assembly, students from each nation can ask questions and speak against or in favor of a resolution.

“They are basically trying to persuade all the nations to vote in favor of them,” Thomas said.

The students are judged on the quality of their resolution and how well the resolution is presented.

“Judges look at all those things and rank them in order of criteria,” Thomas said.

Trew said the Dalton Middle students did “extremely well” in the assembly debates.

“They stood out among the rest of the schools there,” she said.

Yasmeen Issa represented the Russian Federation along with Katelyn Pittman and Max Rounsaville. They won for Best Resolution. She believes the assembly was a good experience.

“It was fun to work as a group,” she said.

“We researched which (country) has problems that could affect the whole world and how to solve it,” Issa said.

Ansley Nguyen said even though her team which represented the Philippines was not recognized with an award it felt nice to win as a school.

“The whole experience was fun,” she said.

Trew said she is proud of all the students.

“It’s amazing to see what middle school students can do when they put their minds to good use,” she said. “I’m looking forward to next year.”

Dalton Middle School students won these awards at the Junior Georgia United Nations Assembly:

• Best Female Delegate: Lexus Stacey, representing Colombia.

• Best Global Village Presentation — Japan: Aida Mingura and Emily Stephens.

• Best Overall School: Dalton Middle School.

• Best Resolution — The Russian Federation: Yasmeen Issa, Katelyn Pittman and Max Rounsaville.