What really went down in D.C.?

YS Model UN members at the Qatar Embassy/Educational Building in D.C.
YS Model UN members at the Qatar Embassy/Educational Building in D.C. 

By Tearnie Quinn

A Model UN trip to Georgetown earlier this year resulted in some students being sent home early. Many rumors have circulated since it wasn’t possible to share specific details about what did or didn’t happen. But some members of the club have decided to speak about their involvement. 

Senior Joey Doll says that essentially, the problem was his room had people in it who weren’t supposed to be there. “A couple of people were staying in the room I was staying in. I briefly said I don’t think it was smart but I didn’t feel like stopping them.” 

Many students, including Joey, started to feel like the trip was not going as planned. “It felt like everything was going wrong, as in I felt like me and my roommates were caught.” 

After the chaperones realized what was happening, Joey says that Mr. Gaeta, the Model UN adviser, got students together to address the issue. “Mr. Gaeta sits us all down, everybody who went to Georgetown basically talked about rules being broken and then he interviewed/interrogated everybody who was either involved or might have any knowledge of some of the broken rules.”

Members of the group that violated the rules were sent home early from the trip. Some faced detentions and were prohibited from attending other school trips.   

Freshman Ana Farah says she wishes she could go back and change what had happened on the trip. “It was not worth it at all.”

Students and faculty are ready to put the rumors aside and move past this incident. The Model UN Club has a bright future ahead of them with many more trips and activities. They hope to gain more members next school year and in the years to come. Mr. Gaeta said this setback will not change anything. “Nothing is changing, the club is still running, we are gonna still go on trips, overnight trips are not canceled or anything like that. Trips will look the same as they are, the only thing that we are going to be doing in the future is just making sure we have even more chaperones.” 

Principal Dr. Ellis also reiterated that many other field trips have happened this school year. Those are expected to carry on as long as the budget allows. “They will continue to happen, assuming that the board continues to bless them. And I have no reason to believe that they will not support those pieces.” 

I’m Tearnie Quinn, Trojan News.