Manhattan, New York – the next destination for the World Affairs Club’s annual out-of-state Model UN conference.

In the past, Mayfield’s World Affairs Club has traveled to places such as Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ontario, and upstate New York. However, the club hasn’t visited New York City itself in over 20 years because of the expensive price tag and other difficulties associated with plane rides––until now.

Hundreds of schools from all over the US and even international schools will be attending the conference. Students are paying with their own money to go on the trip and Mayfield will be splitting the travel costs with Solon High School.

Ed Beck, an adviser of the club, thinks it’s important to travel because “there are not that many opportunities for students to go to overnight trips outside of the state.”

Senior Kate Bakhtiyarova is president of this year’s team. “I’m really excited for New York because it’s the cultural center of the world. We actually get to visit the UN Headquarters and maybe even go throguh some parlimentary processes there,” she said.

The 20 students that are attending the meeting will be staying at the Hilton, where the actual conference is simultaneously taking place. Attending committee will be as easy as taking an elevator ride down.

Mayfield will be representing Liberia and each member is expected to put themselves in the shoes of the Liberian government and fight for the rights and opinions of the state.

Michael Hughes, the second adviser of the club, explains that it’s not easy to take on the role of another country. “You look through a lens that isn’t westernized, and look at ideas that you might not agree with,” he said.

In the end, the goal is to get other countries to vote for a resolution. Although passing a resolution takes widespread cooperation, only a handful of students will win and be recognized for their ability to debate.

Preparing for this event requires each member to heavily research their topic for an extensive period of time, which is why preparations are already starting.

Each member is given online access to a delegate manual that describes the rules and expectations that are to be followed.

Bakhtiyarova said that once their papers are written, the club will hold several meetings so that the advisers and older students can give their ideas and feedback. They will also answer any questions the delegates have in order for them to create an improved final copy of their position papers.

PowerPoint presentations are also set up by the older students to help the delegates even further.

Hughes said, “This is the most student run club in the school. Experienced students train other students, and the advisers are just the guides on the sides.”

There two kinds of debates that the delegates have to be ready for: formal and un-moderated. A formal debate is when one person speaks at a time for about one minute, while an un-moderated debate is when a group of people speak at a time for about 10-20 minutes.

Holding a few practice sessions will help them get ready for these kinds of debates, so each member can get a feel of the formality of the meeting and learn how to speak in a professional way.

Beck said, “People are engaged, interested, and participate like they need to do.”

The meeting in New York offers a chance for students to cooperate with each other where they can develop critical thinking and communication skills, Hughes said. It’s experienced based learning. “You learn by doing, not by filling in the blanks,” he said.

The Mayfield World Affairs Club will compete in New York from March 4-7, 2015.