Bellefontaine Middle School members of Team Japan won an Outstanding Nation Award and the runner-up Talent Award this week at the 2017 Junior Ohio Model United Nations at the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Columbus
Team Japan includes members Ally Barker, Montana Buck, Jordan Butler, Katelyn Esh, Mekenzie Flora, Julia Nelson, Tierani Priest, Savannah Robbins, Olivia Ullum and Krista VanBuskirk.
Bellefontaine Middle School members of Team Japan won an Outstanding Nation Award and runner-up Talent Award this week at the Junior Ohio Model United Nations competition in Columbus. (PHOTOS | BELLEFONTAINE SCHOOLS)
In addition, fellow BMS students from Team Ecuador were awarded an Outstanding Talent Award and Team Australia received the Outstanding World Health Organization Resolution Award.
Members of Team Ecuador are Lauren Easton, Lily Evans, Anastasia Hiatt, Levon Howard, Evan Kauffman, Leeah Kuhn, Brooke Miranda, Dawson Roberts, Gracie Shire and Madison Taylor. Team Australia members are Destiny Dick, Natalie Dinovo, Caitlin Hutchins, Erin Jackson, Gracie Middaugh, Riley Myers, Arianna Nunez and Meng Wang.
For individual awards, Anastasia Hiatt was awarded a Leadership Award.
A total of 51 BMS students competed at the event representing six different countries, also including Burkina Faso, Costa Rica and Hungary. More than 1,700 student delegates were in attendance from schools across Ohio at the largest OMUN to date.
All teams in costume.
Bellefontaine High School students Megan Beaverson, Sierra Bensman, Whitney Clayton, Taryn Mullins and Ben Sailors also presided over the event.
For the resolution portion of OMUN, Team Austraila wrote about the Blushwood berry treatment for cancer and Team Burkina Faso wrote about creating a global micro loan organization.
Team Costa Rica wrote about Project Penitentiary, a program with the goal of reducing imprisonment and creating a tiered jail system. Members of Team Ecuador wrote about oil spill enforcement and a quicker clean-up system.
Team Hungary’s resolution detailed pollution cleaning vacuums to reduce air pollutants and health problems. Finally, Team Japan wrote about Japan’s elder care deficit and bringing in Syrian refugees to fill elder care jobs.
Teams Australia, Burkina Faso and Japan each advanced to the General Assembly and Human Rights Council with their resolutions.
Five BMS teams presented their talent portion of the competition Sunday evening, and Teams Australia, Ecuador and Japan advanced to compete in the final eight Monday afternoon.
For next year’s competition, BMS student Gracie Middaugh was elected council president, and Arianna Nunez was elected council vice president.
Team Burkina Faso members included Harleigh Jenkins, Aneisa Johnson, Cadence Latimer, Mia McDonald, Emma Middaugh, Mia Neer, Abby Ruble and Lily Turner.
Team Costa Rica is made up of Sullivan Ashcraft, Devin George, Liam Harris, Zach Horvath, Alex Houser, Jack Hutchins, Neil Kauffman, Donnie LaRoche and Beau Salyer. Team Hungary includes members Morgan Burden, Sarah Fulmer, Milah Hunt, Chloe Lloyd, Mackenzie Southard and Gabby Stolly.