Sixteen Model United Nations students from John Adams High School got the thrill of a lifetime when they were chosen to be in a documentary produced by National Geographic.
The students in Michael Budhu’s role-playing class — which simulates the work of the United Nations, while honing the students’ public speaking and research skills — were picked out of 140 schools from around the world to appear in the film “Decorum: A Model UN Documentary Series.” The students represented Sudan, Guatemala and India during the May Model UN conference at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Manhattan where the documentary was filmed.
On Oct. 5, the students from the Queens school returned to the hotel to attend a screening of the film. They were greeted by hotel representatives, reporters, and the director of the film, Matthew Bardocz. They were also informed that the documentary would be shown on the Times Square Jumbotron, as well as on the small screens inside taxis for the following three weeks.
More rewarding than their 15 minutes of fame, however, was the students’ sense of pride.
“I felt important. I felt as if people out there wanted to hear from us. It’s wonderful knowing that we come from a local school here in Queens, and now, so many people outside of our own community can become aware of all of the hard work that we put in,” said Model UN student Anil Drepaul, 17, who was interviewed in the documentary.
Megan Aguirre, 17, another student appearing in the film, said she gained much more out of the experience than she expected to.
“From the conference, I was able to demonstrate the ability to stand up and speak my mind. I used to be scared of what people thought about me and what I had to say. But the conference boosted my confidence, and it gave me a sense of what life will really be like as I get older. I now feel so much more comfortable to express my thoughts.”
Student Ayah Innab, 15, who earned an “Honorable Mention” award during the May conference, agreed.
“I was ecstatic and surprised. I felt that there was such a high level of competition. This was, indeed, a significant accomplishment.”
When the students returned to the school after viewing the documentary, they were pleasantly surprised to find that numerous teachers were showing their students the video clips of the “Decorum” stars; in fact, many of the Model UN students said they were approached by teachers and students who complimented and applauded them.
“It’s a great tribute to them. It shows that students can do anything, if they put their minds to it,” Principal Grace Zwillenberg said of the students. “They have gained important skills in life that they can keep and build on when they enter into college.”
To watch the first three episodes of the documentary, visit the website of the United Nations Association of the United States of America, www.unausa.org/decorum.
