McLean’s top-tier team of Model UN delegates practiced rigorously prior to the prestigious North American Invitational Model United Nations (NAIMUN) national conference that was held Feb. 14 to 17.

In preparation, a mock conference was held during their meeting on Monday, Feb. 11. During this mock conference, sophomore Taha Qureshi was especially hopeful.

“McLean always has so many delegates that gavel,” Qureshi said. “It makes me believe that someday I can gavel too.”

A ‘gavel’ is the best award someone participating in a Model UN conference can get, and everyone within McLean Model UN strives to gavel at every conference they go to.

In fact, even the preparation for NAIMUN was highly competitive.

“Only the best delegates went to NAIMUN,” sophomore and Model UN member Peter Awabdeh said.

Those who attended NAIMUN saw great success within the conference as freshman Leah Siegel, sophomore Dua Mobin and juniors Thomas Lohman and Sophie Howery were awarded gavels.

Although some could not attend NAIMUN, there are still some ways the novices of the club can prove themselves with the upcoming TECHMUN and VIMUNC conferences that will be held later in the year.

Members who were not able to go are still optimistic about their chances to be the best delegates possible.

“I don’t have much experience with Model UN, so I’m not that good of a delegate yet,” Qureshi said. “But this environment encourages everyone to join in and work on improving themselves, no matter what happens.”