Four Belmont secondary students, decked out in their best business attire and armed with a stack of notes and as much knowledge as they could cram into their minds, prepared to become delegates representing real countries in a mock United Nations assembly.

Ivan Vinatzer (Israel), Martina Pittroff (Denmark), Kylie Milne (Spain) and Cam McMicken (Moldova) represented Belmont recently at the Vancouver Model UN conference, the largest high school-run gathering of its kind in North America.

The Belmont students joined those from two other public schools on the Island and a handful of private schools at the event, which drew more than 1,100 students from across Canada, Oregon, Washington, California, Japan and Korea.

B次元官网网址淚t was probably the best weekend of my life,B次元官网网址� said Pittroff. B次元官网网址淚t was a really great experience.B次元官网网址�

The 16-year-old joined the group at a friendB次元官网网址檚 request, but now canB次元官网网址檛 wait for the next event. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 not what youB次元官网网址檇 expect,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚 think when people first hear about it, they get the wrong impression.B次元官网网址�

Pittroff said often students have preconceived notions about what a model UN conference is like, including such visions as private school students reigning over those from public schools.

But the delegates support each other as they work on their public speaking, she said. And while people are often nervous at first, the more speeches they give, the easier it becomes.

Vinatzer, an 18-year-old Italian exchange student, said, B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 quite an amazing feeling to get up there and talk B次元官网网址� you look up and 150 people are staring at you.B次元官网网址�

He said the conference was B次元官网网址渢he highlight of my experience in Canada.B次元官网网址�

Vinatzer was the recipient of the outstanding delegate award for the UN General Assembly disarmament and international security committee.

He and the rest of the students had their skills and knowledge put to the test, with negotiations that ran late into the night.

They were even pulled from their beds for a midnight crisis scenario involving peacekeepers killing underage protesters in Sudan. They had to work with other countries to come up with policies to help remedy the situation.

It took B次元官网网址渃ollaboration and compromiseB次元官网网址� to reach those solutions, Vinatzer said, and a lot of debating.

But, as Pittroff noted, there was a no-Internet policy, so delegates had to communicate with each other the old fashioned way: by passing paper notes.

That policy also meant students could not look up their countryB次元官网网址檚 stance on a particular issue, they could only refer to the hard copy of notes they had with them. They also had to put their own views aside and promote the interests of the country they were representing.

B次元官网网址淚t is really challenging to put away your own opinions, especially if youB次元官网网址檙e really passionate about a subject,B次元官网网址� Pittroff said. B次元官网网址淵ou had to think on the spot.B次元官网网址�

While the pair said everyone was exhausted by the end of the weekend, it was worth it.

B次元官网网址淚t was an amazing experience,B次元官网网址� Vinatzer said. While heB次元官网网址檚 not sure what career path heB次元官网网址檇 like to take, he said, B次元官网网址淚 like this kind of atmosphere and I would like a career where this atmosphere is promoted.B次元官网网址�

Pittroff has her sights set on becoming a neurologist or environmental lawyer. But experiences like the conference make her want to travel more and see the world.

Vinatzer, a self-proclaimed B次元官网网址渃itizen of the world,B次元官网网址� said often students will be discouraged from joining model UN because they donB次元官网网址檛 like politics or donB次元官网网址檛 believe that world events directly impact them.

But he said itB次元官网网址檚 important to know whatB次元官网网址檚 going on around the globe, and the conference was a great opportunity to learn more. B次元官网网址淚t opens your eyes; not just the conference but the whole preparation (for it).B次元官网网址�

The Belmont students meet every Thursday at lunch to practice and prepare for upcoming events, with a lot of extra hours put in after school to learn more and write position papers.

They thanked their teacher-advisor, Evelyn Amado for the opportunity.

B次元官网网址淚f it wasnB次元官网网址檛 for her, we would not have left the school,B次元官网网址� Vinatzer said. Pittroff added the school also made it possible for them to go by helping with some of the cost.

Amado, meanwhile, was delighted with her students.

B次元官网网址淭hey worked so hard,B次元官网网址� she said. B次元官网网址淚t was very intense for the kids.B次元官网网址�

She noted they held their own going up against some of the top private schools on the Island and mainland. B次元官网网址淭hey conducted themselves with such decorum. They won the respect of others.B次元官网网址�

And VinatzerB次元官网网址檚 award? Well, she said that was just the icing on the cake.

katie@goldstreamgazette.com