From unknown to the spotlight, the Model UN club has been making big changes with the help of senior Katrina Cooley.

The Model UN has been around in WS for a few years but not many students knew about it. Last year the Model UN plummeted to about five to 10 members and lost their sponsor. However Cooley would not sit and watch it fail, so she took action.

Cooley became interested in Model UN her freshman year when she went to “Bring Your Child to Work Day” with her parents. There they created a mock UN conference and Cooley’s interest grew.

“They [parents at bring your child to work day] did a model UN and I liked it. I asked my teacher if we had one and we did but it went away,” said Cooley.

Although a few students were passionate about Model UN, the club was struggling to stay alive with no sponsor and a lack of member attendance.

“We lost our sponsor, so I went and got a new sponsor. We also had an issue with attendance last year,” said Cooley.

Cooley went out and did a lot of advertising, promoting, and spreading the word around WS and it seemed to help.

This year the club has grown to about 20 to 30 members and is planning on attending more conferences.

“We want to go to three to four more conferences. We also want to set up a small mock conference with Lake Braddock and South County,” said Cooley.

Senior John Wilson is also involved with the club and helps Cooley spread the word about the club.

“I organize all the meetings, keep track of money, and organize going on field trips,” said Wilson

The club meets every Thursday at 2:30 and discusses future conferences they can attend. Mock conferences can last anywhere between one to four hours, and an actual conference can go on for two or three days. They can be lengthy and energy draining but members always end up having a great time.

“Conferences are between schools and are held at universities. We get topics like, terrorism in the Middle East, and we represent the country we are assigned to. You act as a United Nations delegate and must represent those countries views on the issue, even if you don’t believe in them,” said senior and Vice President of the club Meghan Holub.

The club also gives students an advantage since colleges love to see applications from members. Colleges enjoy seeing students who are involved in public debate and problem solving situations. Model UN combines both and helps accelerate a student’s own ability to find solutions, which gives its members an upper hand when applying.

“It’s my favorite club because it helps a lot with college. It’s fun and also promotes public speaking and problem solving,” said Cooley.

The goal at the end of every conference is to reach a resolution on the issues being debated and also help students figure things out without help. Being quick on your feet is a must for members and gives yourself an advantage during debates.

“It teaches you how to figure out problems and think on your feet,” said Cooley.