Matthew Novian

Editor-in-Chief

This year marked Milken’s first appearance at the Ivy League Model United Nations Conference (ILMUNC) hosted by the University of Pennsylvania. By winning the award for the Best Small Delegation and several other individual commendations, the 11 upperclassmens’ performance defied all expectations.

“I did not expect us to win anything, seeing as this was the ILMUNC, a conference where 2200 of this nation’s finest students come to compete and come to win,” said Milken MUN club president Robert Ravanshenas ’11.

The weekend was packed with several hours of competition ranging from a Historical assembly set in 1975 debating what should be done with the intemperate leader Pol Pot to the modern day Israel-Palestine conflict.

The four-day conference came to an end Sunday morning, January 30, and was immediately followed by the award ceremony. There, 8 of the 11 delegates went home with either a gavel (1^st place) an outstanding delegate award (2^nd place) an honorable mention (3^rd place) or a verbal commendation (4^th place).

Kevin Delijani ’12, received a gavel in the UN Environmental Program committee while his twin brother Ryan Delijani ’12, received an outstanding award in the same committee. Tomer Elkayam ’12, received a verbal commendation in the UN Peace

Building committee. The other single delegate, Matthew Novian ’11, received an outstanding delegate award in the Historical General Assembly. In the double delegate committee, Ari Spitzer ’12 and Josh Simmons ’12 won another outstanding delegation award while Max Offsay ‘11 and Ravanshenas recieved an honorable mention.

Amongst all the debating and social mixers, the delegation found time on Friday night for a Shabbat dinner with the Abraham Joshua Heschel School of Manhattan in New York.

“It was good to know that even away from home I could have Shabbat dinner with fellow Jews and maintain our strong tradition,” Delijani said.

Other activities included a tour of the Penn campus for the juniors at the conference in addition to a delegate dance on Saturday night.

The trophy is now sitting on display in the front office.