Written by Brennan Kajewski
The AHS Model UN team went to Muscatine last week for an international meeting. They began day one exchanging gifts with their Chinese counterparts. Both AHS students and teachers, Mr. Stein and Mr. Elesbecker, were surprised by just how many gifts they got. After the greetings and giftings, the teams got to work. They worked together in an effort of international collaboration; students from radically different cultures and governments striving for mutual benefit. During this commendable task, the teachers took off to the breakroom to compare cultures. Day two was similar. They continued the work of the day before.
There were a variety of interesting characters and personalities that they both saw and heard during the multi day event. During most of the breaks the team got, speakers were brought in for both entertainment and information. During a group celebration of the Chinese new year, one student from Beijing reportedly told Joseph Struecker, “I can’t wait to get to my hotel and play video games!” They also met a man from Guyana who explained he was the son-in-law of the Prime Minister and offered to introduce the team to him. It wasn’t until later that the team learned that the prime ministership of Guyana was not an elected position; he was a dictator. The team came to the group consensus to not take him on this illustrious offer.
The trip brought with it plenty of other new and educational experiences as well. There were many different performances by culturally diverse sects of people. A stringed quartet, martial artists, and dancers were all flown in at great expense to the Chinese state for the convention. There was a keynote speaker from the Philippines who spoke extensively on the issues of the day. The Consular-General, accidentally or otherwise, brought up the famous Tiananmen Square Massacre that the Chinese government censors. He said that despite our two nations' differences, like said massacre, we can still come together in collaboration for, hopefully, the betterment of the world.