Thirteen countries, represented by local middle school students, gathered in the Bowman Auditorium of Ohio University Southern Monday for Model United Nations, reading proposed resolutions and debating those amongst each other.

“The students pick out which countries they want to represent, and along with their teachers, come up with and prepare resolutions,” Julie Walters, student services coordinator of the Lawrence County Educational Service Center, said. “And it gets them informed about things going on in other countries.”

Seventh and eighth grade students from Fairland Middle School, South Point Middle School, Rock Hill Middle School, Dawson-Bryant Middle School and Symmes Valley Elementary School took part in Model UN, and resolutions proposed ranged from poverty to security to food and water scarcity to human trafficking and forced labor.

Countries represented were Algeria, portrayed by Clayton Bloss, Luke Colegrove, Patrick Lacroix and Anthony Zhu, of Fairland; Chad, portrayed by Emily Sharp, Sydney Thompson and Abbe Kiritsy, of Fairland; France, portrayed by Gavin Haskins, Isaiah Kelly, Karlie Fleeman and Ellen Jane Heaberlin, of Rock Hill; Haiti, portrayed by Noah Wood, Mason Parkes, Nathan Wroblewski and Daniel Mootz, of Rock Hill; Iceland, portrayed by Alexa Sites, Brianna Stokley, Bridgette Alysworth, Abbi Zornes, Jill Alysworth, Macayla Wilson, Sean Hackney and Leah Bailey, of South Point; Italy, portrayed by Hunter Yates, Robert Reynolds, Josh Helton and Zach Gibson, of South Point; Laos, portrayed by Tucker Meadows, Kaylee Nicely, Olivia Edwards and Katie Tennison, of Rock Hill; Madagascar, portrayed by Camryn Miller, Paige Bailey and Hannah Ratliff, of Rock Hill; Mexico, portrayed by Hunter Blagg, Tristen Davis, Noah Wilson and Wyatt Sturgill, of Rock Hill; Saudi Arabia, portrayed by Isabel Runyon, Emily Oder and Bella Schrader, of Fairland; Syria, portrayed by Brea Belville, Aubree Callicoat, Rion Chafin, Wyatt Lunsford, Adam Lybrand and Josh Pierce, of Symmes Valley; Venezuela, portrayed by Perry Kingery, Jaycee Jenkins, Zeke Cordle, Trevor Stephens, Tyera Pemberton, Andrew Fields and Makayla Jordan, of Dawson-Bryant; and Zimbabwe, portrayed by Josh Vanover, Ben Compliment, Lindsay Fraley, Jordan Harrison, Kyle Robinson, Brad Jones, Sam Napier, Morgan Shultz, Dorian Church and Alex Windhorst, of Dawson-Bryant.

“It’s important for the kids to learn to speak in front of other students and learn good debating skills,” Trena Haynes, gifted specialist at Rock Hill Middle School, said. “It’s good for the kids who want careers in public relations or politics to gain that experience by speaking about and debating current world issues.”

Haynes said that this was about the 25th year Model UN has taken place.

Awards were given out following the resolution portion of the day.

Taking Outstanding Country Awards were France, Laos and Syria, taking Outstanding Resolutions were Saudi Arabia, Zimbabwe and Madagascar, and individually, taking Outstanding Delegate Awards were Anthony Zhu, Abbe Kiritsy, Daniel Mootz, Tucker Meadows, Olivia Edwards, Katie Tennison, Camryn Miller, Hannah Ratliff, Bella Schrader and Brea Belville.

Moderating the event were current Fairland High School juniors and former Model UN students, Morgan Fridley and Marikate Polcyn.