The RNE Model UN team brought home the Award of Merit, the Research Award, and five Committee Awards from the first Southern U.S. Model UN conference. Shown with faculty advisor Lynn Washington are team members (front row from left) Ahmed Abu–Selmia, Katie Green, Helen Robertson, Rachel Lourie, Brandy Oleson, Emily Padget, (back row) Karen Ekeh, Logan Burney, Caryn Wells, John Parvin, Maggie Lawrence, Ahmed Alshareef, and LaShelle Tyne. The Richland Northeast High School Model UN team brought home the Award of Merit, the Research Award, and five Committee Awards from the first Southern United States Model UN conference in Atlanta at Emory University held the weekend of November 19.

The fifteen team members: Ahmed Abu–Selmia, Katie Green, Helen Robertson, Rachel Lourie, Brandy Oleson, Emily Padget, Karen Ekeh, Logan Burney, Caryn Wells, John Parvin, Maggie Lawrence, Ahmed Alshareef, LaShelle Tyne, Karli Wells, and Jessica Johnson represented South Africa, Malaysia, Spain, and Syria. The team also had two members on the Security Council representing the United Kingdom and France.

The South Africa team won the Award of Merit for overall achievement. The Syria team and the Malaysia team won the Research Award for Best Foreign Policy. Committee awards were given to Emily Padget, Maggie Lawrence, Helen Robertson, Karli Wells, and Logan Burney for Best Speaker.

The conference was the brainchild of two RNE 2001 graduates, Foard Copeland and Ryan Gassaway. Danny Weinberg, Class of 2006, was the conference’s secretary–general. Faculty advisor Lynn Washington was the project director and responsible for the development of the Model UN curriculum, which was used to teach MUN skills to the beginner and novice delegates. Washington received a commendation from the International Model UN Association for her leadership and commitment to global education.