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Sandpoint students set sights on NYC

by ERIC WELCH
Staff Writer | January 25, 2025 1:00 AM

SANDPOINT — Honors students in Sandpoint High School’s international relations class will host a dinner fundraiser Feb. 1 to raise money for a trip to New York City and the opportunity to participate in one of the world’s premier Model United Nations conferences. 

Tickets for the themed dinner are $55 and available at bit.ly/3PMqowN. The event will take place 5 p.m. at Marigold Bistro and feature music, a silent auction and cuisine in the style of the countries the students are preparing to represent — Switzerland and Bangladesh. 

If the fundraiser is successful, the class will take part in the four-day National High School Model United Nations Conference in Midtown Manhattan just blocks away from the U.N. headquarters. 

During the event, students step into the role of a U.N. delegate and are tasked with examining real-world issues like international crime and conflicts. Students collaborate, negotiate and debate with other high schoolers representing foreign nations to simulate the activities of the real U.N. assembly.

SHS social studies teacher Conor Baranski, who took over instruction of the course this year after the class went unoffered for several years, hopes his curriculum of researching, articulating and presenting positions will ready students for future success. 

“I think that in education today, there's a lack of preparation for performance,” Baranski said. “This class is a lot of the academic and soft skills that we want students to be engaging in.” 

Students said the unique learning model has pushed them out of their comfort zones and helped them develop new skills. 

“The structure of how we learn is different in this class,” said sophomore Siena Todd-Murray. “You learn by doing.” 

“You’re expected to fail before you get better,” added senior Ada Anderson. 

Additionally, acting on behalf of a country requires students to change their mindsets and consider different values. 

“Sometimes you have to put your personal beliefs aside to get into the role of your country's beliefs,” said senior Madeleine Mitchell. 

A trip to the conference and New York City, students say, would give them valuable diplomacy experience and bolster their resumes as they prepare to apply for college and enter the workforce. 

Additionally, students hope to use their time in the city to visit landmarks like the Statue of Liberty and September 11 Memorial, try food in Chinatown and Little Italy, and experience a culture distinct from that of North Idaho. 

“I’m a big proponent of travel,” Baranski said. “I think it broadens your perspective to recognize that just because something's done one way here, that doesn't mean that's how everybody does it.” 

“When you’re walking down the street in New York, you are seeing every type of person from around the world,” he added. 

Several students in the class said they’ve had few opportunities to travel to other parts of the country, much less abroad. 

“I’ve pretty much stayed in Idaho most of my life and taken a few visits to Montana,” said junior Brooke Brown. 

A chance to visit a city teeming with diverse food, music and culture “is a really cool opportunity for people who live in such a small town,” Mitchell said.