By, 

Kallen Barker

The Reedsburg Area High School Model UN team recently returned from the UW-Madison campus after competing in the Wisconsin State Conference on March 19th–20th. For two intense days, our students stepped into the shoes of international diplomats, representing the nations of Kyrgyzstan and Bosnia & Herzegovina alongside over 700 fellow delegates from across the region.

Preparation for such a prestigious event is a months-long commitment. The team met weekly in the classroom of advisor and social studies teacher, Mr. Matt Smuksta, to research foreign policy and draft formal position papers. "The conference requires everyone attending to write a position paper," Smuksta explained. "This forces students to become familiar with their assigned country and topic. We also practiced opening speeches, did mock debates, and learned about resolution writing."

Once the conference began, the students were thrown into the deep end of global politics, tackling complex issues like the disarmament of non-state armed groups and international court cases. For many, the most daunting hurdle was finding their voice in a room of 100 strangers.

"The most challenging moment for me was getting up and speaking in front of our committee of nearly 100 people," said Anna Turner ‘29. "It was very difficult to come to a consensus with other countries sometimes, especially when dealing with an issue that you have to defend that you don't necessarily agree with." Despite the nerves, Turner ‘29 found her stride by day two, gaining the confidence to negotiate with delegates from global superpowers like Russia, China, and the USA.

Representing "smaller" nations like Bosnia & Herzegovina provided a unique lesson in the challenges of international power dynamics. Danika Monson ‘26 noted that representing a country with such a deep religious and cultural history added a layer of difficulty to the negotiations.

"Representing my country definitely changed my views on world issues because it is very religious," Danika Monson ‘26 explained. "It made it more difficult to make decisions on my issue when those choices had to be based strictly on the specific religion and culture of my country, rather than my own views." She noted that staying true to these cultural mandates was a struggle when larger, more powerful countries tried to dominate the conversation. "The other countries steamrolled or took our ideas and didn't credit us. It was hard since our delegation was small and didn't have a lot of say."

Olivia Schafer ‘27 faced similar challenges but turned them into a leadership opportunity. "The most challenging moment was when people weren’t really listening to what I was saying," she recalled. "But by the end, my proudest moment was when I realized that I had become a leader in the group of people I was working with."

While most students worked in large committees, Mason Siedschlag ‘25 participated in the International Court of Justice (ICJ). "Instead of coming up with solutions, we had to decide international court cases," he explained. Siedschlag felt the experience sharpened his communication skills: "I had to allow others to speak, and also had to debate others to effectively convince people to join my side."

Beyond the academic rigor, the trip was about building community and resilience. Smuksta observed that the most rewarding part was seeing students collaborate during "unmoderated caucuses" and bond over inside jokes—ranging from the intricacies of Kyrgyzstan’s folk music to the surprise of Thanksgiving stuffing-flavored potato chips.

"I hope these students realized that they could take on very difficult topics, get out of their comfort zones, and grow into more confident young adults," said Smuksta. "A few months ago, if you told a member that they'd soon be speaking in front of 100+ people about Bosnia's position on climate change, I think they'd hardly believe you!"

As this was only the third year of the program at RAHS, the team is already looking forward to hitting the ground running next season.

Attached picture, front row left to right: Liliana Gutierrez, Maycee Fitch, Ashlyn Ohan, Brooke Minder, Sayuli Nicolas Martinez, Nene Tokunaga, Byron Diekfuss, Olivia Schafer, Maddie Hooker. Back row, L-R: Matt Smuksta, Amara Feryance, Anna Turner, Danika Monson, Caleb Monson, Jake Lichte, Brooke Kvalheim, Weston Sackett, McKean Ericksen. Not pictured: Maria Santana-Coca, Mason Siedschlag.