Written By: Camila Reyna

When considering all of the clubs at RCDS, Model UN is considerably one of the most unique options that students can participate in. This club, which usually meets in Memorial Hall and is led by Zara Khemlani ‘27 and Kevin Neilinger ‘27, will prepare members for conferences, where they will represent a certain country and an issue that pertains to it. Previously this club has represented Guatemala, Italy, and The Philippines. This year, the Model UN club has gone to Bronx Science and Horace Mann to compete, and have seen multiple success at conferences such as these, with Lillian Pereira ‘27 receiving a verbal commendation award in the ECOFIN (Economic and Financial)  committee and Neilinger and Khemlani being awarded a verbal commendation for their double-delegate role in the SOCHUM (Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural) committee. Both of these awards were earned in the Horace Mann conference, which took place on November 9, 2025. 

In response to the question of what is appealing about Model UN, Neilinger stated that “There’s just a whole new crowd. Every time you go to a conference, you might recognize a few people from previous conferences, which is also really nice.” He further stated, “You’re forced to make these automatic friendships and alliances, which is really funny, and overall, it’s great because you wouldn’t be doing this in any other situation.” Khemlani said, “You’re also learning how to work with other people. And our club meetings are really fun, which is why we think a lot of people come.” During club meetings, members can participate in public speaking drills, play games, or speak about current events. She added that the Model UN club had over 100 signups at the Club Fair, which took place in September, signaling the student body had a large interest in Model UN. 

Khemlani informed that one way Model UN helps its members is that it connects people who perhaps otherwise would have never spoken to each other. She said, “There are a couple of new students in the club that have made new friends from being a part of it.” Neilinger went on to state that “It really expands your interest in current events and world affairs, in addition to really improving your collaboration skills, your negotiating [skills], and…public speaking too, which is a really crucial tool for life in general.” Overall, this club presents many opportunities for its members to improve in many forms of communication and helps sharpen valuable skills that can be used throughout life. 

To tie everything together, Khemlani has one message for anybody that is on the fence about joining Model UN. She says, “It is always helpful to just come in and sit in on one of our meetings. You’ll recognize that a lot of other students have fun in the meetings. We play a lot of games and do a lot of speaking drills. Overall, it’ll help you and improve your public speaking drills.” If you would like to work on communication skills while also debating and meeting new people, then Model UN is for you!