Do you know all about governmental policies and foreign affairs? Most people would have to answer no to that question, but not members of Model UN. Model UN, or MUN, has gotten increasing amounts of attention thanks to superstar delegate Joey Moore. Recently, Moore has earned the Kettle Run branch of the club numerous awards and has assisted at events to bring home certificates of achievement.
Preparation for a model UN event takes time and effort. MUN sponsor Chad Wright acknowledges the hard work that all of the participants put in before a competition. “Model UN is much harder than many people think,” stated Wright. “The Mid-Atlantic Model UN circuit that Kettle Run Model UN competes on is known for being the most competitive in the United States. It has taken the Kettle Run Model United Nations Club 3 years to reach the current level of success that our team is earning. Therefore, it is difficult to earn awards at Model UN conferences.”

However, this doesn’t stop the competitors and Mr. Wright from putting their best foot forward and putting in preparation efforts. “Mr. Wright helps us with the research and gives us links and resources,” explained Junior Josh Rigby. “He always makes sure we’re prepared for every conference so that we can win awards and have fun. He also checks up with us throughout the weeks leading up to a conference to make sure we’re well prepared, and is just a great club sponsor.”
Preparing for a conference takes a lot of individual work by the delegates as well. “I spend at least three to five hours preparing for a model UN event,” explained Junior delegate Rachel Walker. “Mostly I prepare through researching the topic the week before and then I write a paper on everything I learned.” A lot of the focus this year has been on junior delegate, Joey Moore who has filled a leadership role for the club.
“Joey Moore has provided tremendous leadership to our Model UN club this year,” said Wright. “He is a valuable asset to our club as the Secretary-General of KRUNMUN.”
Besides the rewarding experience of going to the competitions, Moore has won multiple awards single handedly, and contributed to multiple group awards as well. These awards include best delegate at the UVA conference, and outstanding delegate at a conference at UCLA. “A best delegate award means that you demonstrated outstanding public speaking skills and debated the situation with a degree of creativity and diplomacy,” explained Moore. “At UVA’s conference, VAMUN, there were around 1400 students, and 24 best delegate awards were given.”
Some of Moore’s fellow club-members are proud of him for his outstanding work for the program. “To be a best delegate like Joey, it takes a lot of preparation, experience, and confidence in yourself,” said Walker. Model UN creates opportunities for its participants that are unique. Moore agrees with this and serves as a prime example as someone who has taken these to his advantage.
“Joey’s travels and dedication is inspiring to the 30 members of Kettle Run Model United Nations,” explained Wright. “Joey is showing what is possible through the power of Model United Nations. Joey is well on his way to becoming our Best Delegate in the history of our club. I am glad he is a Junior and that we have 1.5 years remaining of his leadership. I cannot wait to see what is next from this ambitious young man and our leader.”
“Model Un has given me many opportunities that I would have otherwise not gotten or experienced,” said Moore.” “I’ve met and stay in contact with many people in different countries, and have made relationships with people I would have otherwise never met. I was also recently selected for a journalism internship with a company related to Model UN that reaches over 750,000 people across the globe annually.” Kettle Run MUN has some big competitions coming up.