Blind Brook Students Shine at Johns Hopkins Model UN Conference

Blind Brook High School students had a successful showing at the Johns Hopkins Model UN Conference, held Feb. 7-10 in Baltimore, bringing home six awards. Ben Kanfer and Rachel Simon both won the prestigious Best Delegate Award in their respective committees, while Lara Cohen won an Outstanding Delegate Award. Alex Egol, Matan Neuman and Kyle O’Neil each received honorable mention.

Senior Rachel Simon won her Best Delegate Award while serving on the Disarmament & International Security Committee. Delegates discussed the militarization of the Arctic and the use and dissemination of drone technology. This is Rachel’s second such award this year, having also won the Best Delegate Award at the Brown University Simulation of United Nations in November.

Ben Kanfer became the first sophomore in Blind Brook history to receive the prestigious Best Delegate Award. He served on the Catalonian Secession Committee, which addresses whether Catalonia, an autonomous region of Spain, should be independent and have its own constitution.

Lara Cohen served on the World Intellectual Property Organization. She won her Outstanding Delegate Award debating the regulation of genetic patents and the issue of traditional/indigenous intellectual property rights.

Thirty-five students from Blind Brook traveled to Baltimore for the conference under the guidance of their teacher adviser, Nicole Simmons. “Our Model UN Club has come so far in the last few years, as witnessed by the dedication of our 70-plus members,” Simmons said. “I am extremely proud of all of our Johns Hopkins Model UN delegates, as they prepared and performed incredibly throughout the four days.”

Nearly 2,000 students from more than 180 schools around the world participated in the Johns Hopkins Model UN Conference. The conference provides delegates with exposure to international affairs as they work within their assigned committees to debate and write resolutions with peers from around the world.