By JESSICA HARDING
Staff Writer
RUMSON — Eighth-grade student Ian Wurch and his Model U.N. team recently won an award at a conference that was held by Christian Brothers Academy.
Wurch and his fellow team members attend Rumson Country Day School (RCDS). The Model U.N. team consisted of nine seventh and eighth graders. The team has helped shape Wurst into the young man he is today.
“Model U.N. is a good way to put yourself in a situation that you would not normally be accustomed to,” he said. “It forces you to be comfortable with yourself.”
Wurch was cast in the role of Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy and had the task of proposing a solution for the Cuban Missile Crisis. His team won the Best Delegation Award that was presented at the Nov. 4 conference.
Danielle Devine Greene, the mother of Lila, who is one of Wurch’s teammates, understands the drive of the students.
“Our students were fearless going into the conference,” she said. “We really saw what RCDS students can do when they have an opportunity to demonstrate leadership and teamwork under pressure.”
Former U.S. Ambassador Patricia Butenis gave the keynote speech.
Butenis’ keynote address presented themes of open-mindedness and diplomacy. It concluded with a Q-and-A session, which focused on how students with differences can cooperatively work together.
Head of RCDS History Department Tom Scott noted that extracurricular programs like Model U.N. support the school’s curriculum with content in foreign politics and social issues.
“They also reinforce a key part of our mission,” he said. “Students are taught to look at issues from new perspectives and respect others’ differences while working toward a common goal.”
Along with many other important skills, public speaking and debate skills are two of importance in the RCDS culture and curriculum.
Wurch has improved his public speaking ability due to this concentration.
“You’ll always have an unsettling feeling before a presentation,” he said. “I’ve learned to control this because public speaking has been integrated into a lot of my classes and activities — from school plays in the past all the way to the debate team today.”
Wurch and several of his teammates will graduate this spring.
Nine out of ten students are collectively involved in extracurricular programs at RCDS.
The next extracurricular conference for students to attend will be the Forensics Festival on Saturday, Dec. 3, at the RCDS campus.