West Holmes OMUN students experience ‘epic’ time
Team China was one of four West Holmes groups to produce terrific results at OMUN. Included on the team were Parker Garver, front left, Hunter Uptain and LeeAnna Madison; back row, Alexis Wagers, Katherine Kaster and Jevin Zheng.
For many years West Holmes High School’s teens who attend the annual Ohio Model of United Nations program have done well.
This year they blew away every expectation in a most memorable experience.
A record number of what adviser Lisa Lang called incredible students attended the largest global education Ohio Model of United Nations program Dec. 8-10 in Columbus, and what the Knights contingent came away with was more than just an experience of growth and satisfaction; they came away with the hardware.
“OMUN is all about the experience it gives these young people,” said Lang, who co-advises the team with Mindy Heffelfinger. “That’s why we go. It’s about young people getting together to learn how to solve real-world problems. But don’t get me wrong. We love bringing home the hardware.”
That collected awards included four trophies that will now reside in the halls of West Holmes High School and included some of the most prestigious awards presented at the event.
In a school-first, Jonny Shedron was chosen by his OMUN peers to serve as the 2025 General Assembly president next year, the highest achievable honor at the event.
“Jonny was amazing,” Lang said. “He captured everyone’s hearts by singing his campaign speech.”
There was more to come.
Jevin Zheng will serve as the school’s first Human Rights Council president in 2025, the fourth highest ranking position.
McKelvey McFarland and Kaelyn Alvarado served as 2024 council vice presidents and earned gavels and graduation cords.
Wyatt Carter and Katherine Kaster were two of just 46 students out of more than 1,000 students to receive a Leadership Award, which is voted on by peers and advisers. Lang said Kaster was especially impressive throughout the event.
“All of the kids were exceptional,” Lang said, “but Katherine exhibited such rare and standout leadership, communication and listening skills and made everyone in her group feel valued and important. I think all of our students realized the concept of there being no ‘I in team.’”
With four teams representing WHHS, it marked a high-water number. Representing the nation of China were Parker Garver, Katherine Kaster, LeeAnna Madison, Hunter Uptain, Alexis Wagers and Jevin Zheng. The Nation of Madagascar included Lena Burgett, Nevaeh Edgell, Bradley Fair, Lilly Perry, Alex McCulloch and Raven Stracke. Team Sweden consisted of Connor Burchfield, Wyatt Carter, Memphis Jones, Sami Latouf, Elijah Piatt and Emily Yoder. The United States of America boasted Marley Irias-Bamford, Elijah Piatt, Jonny Shedron, Luke Snyder, Kassidy Wencel and Robert Yabroff.
Individuals weren’t the only ones bringing home hardware.
Team United States of America was awarded the first-place trophy and medals out of 58 of the 153 nations for their talent showcase, and team China won the runner-up trophy and medals in the talent showcase.
Both teams performed in the semifinals and the International Summit.
“This is the third year in a row West Holmes has won the talent showcase at OMUN,” Lang said. “We’ve been coming here a long time, and I can’t ever remember a school doing that three times in a row.”
Team USA’s victory came courtesy of a five-minute musical presentation that took everyone on a whirlwind tour across America, which included a large cut-out cardboard car.
“The talent show was incredibly fun,” Lang said. “Our kids are so creative and willing to put in the work and do whatever they can to make an impression. They take the talent show very seriously, and the results show that.”
While there was plenty of entertainment and fun, the crux of OMUN is to have students debate and find solutions to some of the world’s toughest issues.
Team China’s resolution was one of the 12 teams out of 153 nations to advance to the Human Rights Council, and Team China also was one of 12 nations out of the 153 total nations to win an Outstanding Resolution trophy and medals.
Team Madagascar passed its resolution in the council session and in the General Assembly, which is the ultimate goal of resolutions. Team Sweden wrote an A+ resolution. Team USA had heavy debate in the council session and advanced to the General Assembly.
Both Madagascar and the USA teams were one out of 22 of the 153 total nations to be selected to present in the General Assembly.
West Holmes found success at every turn.
“This one was special,” Lang said. “I keep coming back to the word ‘epic’ because it truly was in every sense of the word. The things these kids did just blew us away.”
Now the school has four new pieces of hardware in the trophy case that proves hard work, dedication, teamwork and effort pay off.
Lang and Heffelfinger wanted to share thanks to those who contributed to the OMUN basket fundraiser, which not surprisingly saw WHHS receive the first-place trophy for fundraising for the I-OPEN project to help school children in Nigeria. The event proved to be a memorable experience in every way possible for the students, which is why OMUN exists.