We are writing on behalf of Laguna Beach High School’s Model United Nations program. Our program is entirely run by student leaders led by Secretaries-General Carter McKinzie and Lili Bazargan. Our vision is to educate students and our community about international relations and to increase political engagement.
Recently, our program held a forum for the four Laguna Beach City Council candidates. We take pride in the work of our staff and students who assisted in making this the most well-attended city council forum to date; however, we understand that some engaged community members were upset about certain topics not being addressed at the forum. First, we would like to elucidate our policy regarding the discussion of items under the jurisdiction of LBUSD’s Board of Education. With guidance from our advisors, Jonathan Todd and Jun Shen, we decided that it would be best not to omit questions relating to the jurisdiction of LBUSD’s Board of Education.
At the school board candidate forum hosted by the Woman’s Club, we witnessed the polarizing nature of specific topics and the lack of decorum from the audience in response to certain issues. As a program, we decided to exclude those topics to ensure our students experienced a forum of respectful and civil discourse on topics under the council’s jurisdiction. Ultimately, the city council candidates did not disappoint, and we are grateful for their wonderful example of civic dialogue. No school board members or district administrators directed us to avoid or include any topics in the forum held on Oct. 1.
As a former student board member (Carter McKinzie), I completely understand the complexities of issues facing our school district, such as constructing a new pool. During my time on the board, I heard from various perspectives about issues facing our district and strongly believe in the importance of open dialogue. Our forum aimed to focus on topics relevant to students and other community stakeholders.
Being a program that prides itself on open dialogue and collaborating with the community, we appreciate the opportunity to host this forum and hope it has proved valuable to the community’s stakeholders. We always appreciate feedback and encourage you to reach out to our program’s email at mun@lbusd.org or send a letter to Laguna Beach High School, Model U.N. Program, 625 Park Avenue. We look forward to continuing our partnership with our community.
Carter McKinzie and Lili Bazargan, Co-Secretaries General of LBHS Model United Nations
