SAA Students Participate in Model United Nations International Symposium

An earlier version of this story was published in Spencerville Adventist Academy’s weekly newsletter, The Buzz.

Story by Marty Cooksey, History teacher at Spencerville Adventist Academy

For a second year, Spencerville (Md.) Adventist Academy (SAA) scholars and selected students from the Chesapeake Conference were honored to participate virtually in the Model United Nations International Symposium at The Hague in the Netherlands (THIMUN) held Jan. 25-29. 

SAA scholars Adia Burley, Kyle Hardinge, Lauren Fennell, Bryn Johns, and Jonathan Moats were handpicked veterans of the Capital Model United Nations (CAPITALMUN) symposium sponsored by Washington Adventist University’s Honor’s College each spring and directed by Dr. C. Jonathan Scriven.

Similar to CAPITALMUN, but with an international focus, THIMUN allows hundreds of students from all over Europe to meet, debate, and resolve actual global issues faced by the United Nations. This year’s team from Chesapeake Conference represented the nations of Sweden and Vietnam. 

“It was neat to be the only American student in a group of about 70 international students, debating and working on real United Nations issues and coming up with our own resolutions,” said Jonathan Moats. “THIMUN has been a great experience!”

Although COVID forced the symposium to be held virtually again this year, Dr. Scriven’s vision is to continue hosting and expanding the regional CAPITALMUN program at Washington Adventist University while selecting students from that symposium to attend the THIMUN in person in the Netherlands in 2023.