Unlike Zimbabwe’s newly deposed former president, Cresskill High School’s Model United Nations (MUN) club has a bright future.

MUN’s history at Cresskill dates back at least a decade, but for at least half that period, it was dormant. That changed five years ago when Mr. Morelli’s AP World class sought his help reviving the club, which allows students to learn about the United Nations, diplomacy and international relations, and gives them the opportunity to participate in conferences with students from other schools. He eagerly agreed to help, but on one condition: MUN be “student-driven.”

With this condition, students have been enthusiastically joining Cresskill’s diplomacy club for years. Recent meeting reforms and a massive influx of students have made it stronger than ever, and members are excited for their upcoming January 12th conference. Junior Rachel Kim, a MUN leader, is especially looking forward to the conference and has been helping to “make sure the freshmen and sophomores know what to do.” For sophomore Isabella Jiang, taking part in MUN has brought improved public speaking skills and a sense of self-confidence; for years, she has struggled with “indecision”, but the “rapid pace of MUN pushed [her] out of that habit.”

 This being said, like the Manhattan-based world body, MUN faces funding challenges. While some school clubs get financial help from the Board of Education, MUN remains entirely student-funded. Club leaders have raised the issue with the board and are hopeful aid is forthcoming. Global events also promise to bring drama to this year’s conferences, according to Mr. Morelli; just recently, Robert Mugabe was ousted as Zimbabwe’s president. A host of other challenges confront world leaders, and one of the UN’s chief critics happens to be the leader of the free world. “President Trump has, on multiple occasions, denounced the United Nations and other international organizations,” Mr. Morelli notes.

In the meantime, MUN participants are excited to make this school year a success and to be around “people who share similar interests”, as shared by junior Maddie Smith.  With Mr. Morelli’s leadership, an energized group of students and an unpredictable world, there’s never been a more exciting time to be a member of MUN.