H*5081 Resolution, By Lourie
 A HOUSE RESOLUTION TO EXTEND THE BEST WISHES AND HEARTFELT CONGRATULATIONS OF
 THE MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA TO
 THE RICHLAND NORTHEAST HIGH SCHOOL'S MODEL UNITED NATIONS TEAM AND THEIR
 FACULTY ADVISER AND SPONSOR, MS. LYNN WASHINGTON, ON CAPTURING THE FIRST PLACE
 GOLD MEDAL AWARD OF DISTINCTION AT THE NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL MODEL UNITED
 NATIONS CONFERENCE HELD ANNUALLY IN NEW YORK CITY.

   05/17/00  House  Introduced and adopted HJ-22

TO EXTEND THE BEST WISHES AND HEARTFELT CONGRATULATIONS OF THE MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA TO THE RICHLAND NORTHEAST HIGH SCHOOL'S MODEL UNITED NATIONS TEAM AND THEIR FACULTY ADVISER AND SPONSOR, MS. LYNN WASHINGTON, ON CAPTURING THE FIRST PLACE GOLD MEDAL AWARD OF DISTINCTION AT THE NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL MODEL UNITED NATIONS CONFERENCE HELD ANNUALLY IN NEW YORK CITY.

Whereas, the House of Representatives is proud to learn that the Richland Northeast High School's Model United Nations Team has once again won the First Place Gold Medal Award of Distinction - for eleven years the Richland Northeast team has placed first; and

Whereas, Richland Northeast has attended the National High School Model United Nations Conference for sixteen years - winning 12 first places and 3 second places; and

Whereas, there were two thousand three hundred students attending from twenty-two states and nine foreign countries; and

Whereas, this is the first year the National High School Model United Nations Conference awarded one first place award of distinction in the competition. Richland Northeast High School's team won this award; and

Whereas, twenty-five members of the Richland Northeast High School's Model United Nations Team left Columbia on March 21, 2000, expecting fierce competition and a memorable experience in their fight to continue the school's ten-year streak of first-place wins in the international competition; and

Whereas, the team supports itself with fundraisers and donations. This year it raised sixteen thousand dollars by providing concessions for a horse show, washing cars, and writing letters asking for donations; and

Whereas, in the competition, the students act as United Nations delegates, using what they know about the country they "represent" to develop political coalitions and pass resolutions that best serve the interests of their constituents. This year, the Richland Northeast team represented Japan on seventeen committees in the competition, a mock session in which students act as delegates working toward consensus on international political issues; and

Whereas, the committees tackle economic, social, cultural, and humanitarian issues; decolonization; trade and development; international law; the environment; drug control; and disarmament; and

Whereas, the team members include: Matt Stover; David Sohn; Kiva Wilson; Takina Holloman; Hank Hyatt; Sheena Lazenby; Leah Greenberg; Stanford Park; Andrew Friedman; James Pineda; Erika Sontroem; Ben Hogan; Kathryn Dail; Brigette Lindsey; Justin Moody; Patrick Duff; Emily Walker; Leslie Ann Brooks; Darrius Langston, Dawn Miller, Aikaterini Kratsios, Partick Goodwin, Venus Behrouzjou, Richard Barnes, and Jernell Simmons; and

Whereas, their faculty adviser and sponsor for twenty-one years, Lynn Washington, who was honored last year by receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Model United Nations Association, a nongovernmental organization of the United Nations whose purpose is international education. Ms. Washington has served on the organization's board of directors; held a national teachers' conference on using simulations; developed a video on Model U.N., and chaired the board; and

Whereas, the team also brought home the school's fourteenth research award, given to the team that presents the most thorough research of the country it represents. The research award is especially cherished by this team because the closest U.N. depository is four hours away in Chapel Hill, North Carolina; and

Whereas, the national conference is not the first one the Richland Northeast team competed in this year. It also competed in November, 1999, against eight hundred students at a conference at the University of Virginia, and five hundred students at a conference at Duke University. The team also competed against one thousand four hundred students in February at the sixteenth annual Ivy League Model U.N. Conference at the University of Pennsylvania. At this conference, Richland Northeast won the Ben Franklin Cup for overall participation and was named the best large high school in the competition. In addition, team members took home individual speaking awards, and all received top honors for position papers; and

Whereas, it seems fitting for the House of Representatives to pause in their deliberations to honor this fine group of competitors, along with their adviser and sponsor, Ms. Lynn Washington, and wish them the very best in all their future endeavors. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the House of Representatives:

That the members of the House of Representatives of the State of South Carolina, by this resolution, extend their best wishes and heartfelt congratulations to the Richland Northeast High School's Model United Nations Team on capturing the First Place Gold Medal Award of Distinction at the National High School Model United Nations Conference held annually in New York City.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be presented to Ms. Lynn Washington.