A HOUSE RESOLUTION

TO CONGRATULATE THE RICHLAND NORTHEAST HIGH SCHOOL MODEL UNITED NATIONS TEAM ON RECEIVING THE FIRST-PLACE AWARD OF DISTINCTION FOR ITS WORK AT THE NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL MODEL UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE.

Whereas, the South Carolina House of Representatives is pleased to learn that the Richland Northeast High School Model United Nations (MUN) team received the first-place Award of Distinction for its work at the National High School Model United Nations (NHSMUN) Conference; and

Whereas, further, the team scored the highest number of points of any of the four teams receiving the Award of Distinction. Richland Northeast (RNE) received the Award of Distinction for its position paper on the Republic of Turkey, the country the team represented; and

Whereas, in November, Richland Northeast students began researching and writing position papers for each of the nine committees where Turkey was represented. The team also concentrated on parliamentary procedure, policy and solution speeches, ideas for working papers and resolutions, and plans for committee work; and

Whereas, led by Emily Nielsen and Asia Rivers, junior co-president and senior co-president, respectively, RNE's MUN team captured the award for the twenty-fourth time. Returning senior members were also critical to the team's success and included Joe Palekas, Ben Crawford, Cory Nelson, and Hannah Ekeh. Other returning members were Paxton Haven, Wesley Skidmore, Iqra Tabassum, and Kevin O'Dell, and new members included Chris Kannaday, David Shulman, Sarah Brotman, Qi Jin, Adam Groth, and Darrien Ennels; and

Whereas, Lynn Washington, faculty sponsor, received a pin from the International MUN Association for her thirty-one years of attendance at the conference. She has served longer than any other advisor, and her RNE teams have taken home six second-place awards over the thirty-one years of her conference attendance, in addition to their twenty-four first-place awards; and

Whereas, held in New York, this year's conference was the largest, with more than 3,100 student delegates representing one hundred ninety delegations from across the United States and twenty foreign countries. While attending the conference, the present RNE MUN team also visited the Turkish Mission to the United Nations for a briefing with Second Secretary A. Noyan Ozkaya; and

Whereas, proud of these students' fine achievements, the House takes great pleasure in saluting the members of the Richland Northeast High School Model United Nations team for capturing the first-place Award of Distinction at the NHSMUN Conference. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:

That the members of the South Carolina House of Representatives, by this resolution, congratulate the Richland Northeast High School Model United Nations team on receiving the first-place Award of Distinction for its work at the National High School Model United Nations Conference.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to Sabrina Suber, principal, and Lynn Washington, faculty sponsor, of Richland Northeast High School.