In his first public appearance since the Inauguration former President Joe Biden traveled to New York to give a speech to the students and participants of the National High School Model United Nations, or NHSMUN. The CHS Model UN program was among the crowd of schools at the speech, and some have decided to share their personal experiences.
Returning delegates Ben Lavalley and Mason Stambaugh got front row seats to the former president’s speech. They attained the reserved seating from questions they submitted through an email and were chosen to ask the former president. Being in the front row has its perks, and the two took full advantage of them.
The question Ben Lavalley submitted was actually used in the Q&A: “What has been your favorite/the most rewarding experience you have had as part of the United States executive branch between your vice presidency and presidency?” When he heard the interviewer ask it, he was nothing less than ecstatic: “It was truly an honor to have my question selected out of over 800…!” He enjoyed the Q&A section of the speech the most and was even inspired by the former president. Lavalley describes feeling “empowered and hopeful” after Biden’s interview. His piece of advice to those looking to join Model UN is “to just go for it and be confident!”
Stambaugh used the opportunity to get a quick flick with the president. He describes his meticulous planning, saying, “I really wanted a selfie with Biden, so I decided to write on the back of my [reserved seating] paper ‘CAN I GET A PICTURE?” This ended up working and at the end of the Q&A session of the speech, he was able to get a photo with Joe Biden. The picture was also his favorite part of the four-day trip. His piece of advice to those interested in joining the program is to make sure you’re willing to do the work for the conferences and not just for the glamorous trip because “the work is still vigorous and the conference is still a lot of work.” But overall, it’s a great reward for all the effort put into the months leading up to the conference.
It may have been an exciting experience for the returning delegates, but the first-years were even more thrilled about it. Sophomore and first-year delegate Helen Shine gives some input on the experience. Her favorite part of the speech was when he addressed issues such as climate change and gender equity/equality. These certain topics “[…] are very important to me, so it was really interesting hearing what he had to say.” Similar to many others, the speech was one of the highlights of the trip. She’s not sure if her future adventures in New York will live up to this year’s, but she’s excited to see any new speakers that may show themselves on the stage. Shine’s piece of advice to newcomers is “[…] to not be afraid of expressing your opinions and speaking. It feels very rewarding once you find other people who agree with you and it makes you more approachable to other delegates.”
Of course, none of this would have been possible without Carlisle High School’s Model UN Advisor: Mr. Wagner. Mr. Wagner actually had the opportunity to meet President Biden, describing him as “very gracious and kind.” He was initially surprised by Biden’s compassion and humility, but it made speaking with Biden all the better. It was Mr. Wagner’s first time meeting a president, and it felt a little more special to him as a social studies teacher at the high school. In all of his 36 years as the leader of Carlisle’s Model UN program, the speech “certainly stands out as one of the most amazing experiences” he’s ever had. Recognizing that some of the students at that very conference may one day grow to be world leaders, Mr. Wager remarks, “his comments about the characteristics of leadership were especially important for our youth to hear, as they will someday be the leaders of our nation.”
President Biden’s speech left an impact on the attendees of the NHSMUN conference, and it will be an memory none of them will ever forget.
