Dexter Students Attend an Internationally and Globally Minded Conference in Ann Arbor

With some help from the Educational Foundation of Dexter, the Dexter High School Model United Nations (MUN) Club had the special opportunity to send a delegation of students to the 29^th conference of the Model United Nations at the University of Michigan last month.

This conference event for high school students welcomed nearly 1,000 delegates from places such as Florida, Ohio and here in Michigan, and with an international reach, with a delegation from Libya attending. University of Michigan Law School and Ford School of Public Policy professor and former Ambassador to South Sudan, the Honorable Dr. Susan Page provided the introductory keynote speech.

At the conference some Dexter students were honored. Earning special distinction at closing ceremonies was Luke Dudash who received verbal commendation as a delegate in Soviet Collapse while Preston Roemmich earned honorable delegation distinction in the Ad-Hoc Committee about the kingdom of Charlemagne. 

This was a special conference for Dexter as six of the delegates were seniors and between all of them they have a total of 19 trips to this conference.

In getting there, the club said it deeply appreciated the support of the Educational Foundation of Dexter (EFD), who supported all registration and delegate fees.

Jaime Dudash, Dexter’s club advisor and a teacher at DHS, said “The EFD and their support have been integral in showcasing our students skill sets at this conference for years. Terrific lessons in diplomacy are crafted during this four-day event for our Dexter diplomats, we could not be more appreciative of the Foundation’s support.”

At the conference, Dudash told the Sun Times News delegates attended eight committee sessions from 2 to 2.5 hour lengths, where “they struggled with a myriad of complex political, historical and diplomatic topics, seeking whenever, wherever, compromise and solutions in present and throughout different historical settings to seek positive ends to the challenges presented in front of them.”

The students participated on a range of committees. Dudash said some students served as members of the International Press Corps and other delegates were mired in historical settings like the Soviet Collapse, Times of High Crimes and Misdemeanors in London (during the times of Jonathan Wild), A Tudor Crisis, and even tumult during the reign of Charlemagne. 

Additionally there was a Friday Midnight crisis for which Dexter was able to get a coveted position in where DHS student Preston Roemmich “walked the plank” into a crisis of Piracy on the high seas.  He didn’t really have to walk a plank, but the topic was two rivaling Pirate groups, according to Dudash.

Noting the importance of this event for students, Dudash said the conferences are a place where creative and talented students with a passion for history, politics, public speaking and listening, peace brokering, deal making (and breaking) hone their craft to become master diplomats often solving problems before having to resort to more hard power options. 

He said the power of diplomacy is what is showcased and many students who are “MUNers” in high school go on to participate at the collegiate level hosting. He said Anne Kleber is a current junior at the University of Michigan who helped staff this conference.  She was a four year Model UN student at DHS.

Photo: Dexter Model United Nations Delegation at U of M. From Left:  Charlotte Malo, Zoë Harker, Advisor Mr. Dudash, Eva Petrinko,Luke Dudash, Lydian Field, Andre Motsinger, Josie Perry, Joey Holleran, Azura Lane, Preston Roemmich and Blake Stinebaugh.  Missing from photo is Kyla Brewer. Photo courtesy of DHS