The delegate from Mozambique just made an impassioned plea for a $5 billion levy system.

A cry goes out for the resolution, a speaker opposed the plan and a caucus brings delegates to their feet, scrambling for support. Only then is it noticeable that few of these world leaders are more than five feet tall.

This is the Lawrence County Model United Nations, where seventh and eighth grade Talented And Gifted students from across the county battle it out as a country of their choice in an emulation of the world’s forum.

Their most recent meeting took place Tuesday morning at the campus of Ohio University Southern. Chesapeake, Fairland, Rock Hill and South Point all sent students to take part in the debate.

Each of the districts chose three different countries to represent, dressed themselves in some native garb and then attempted to pass resolutions to benefit their newly adopted land.

Linda Dickess, gifted coordinator for Lawrence County, said that the most important part of the process is the weeks of study that students do as they research their countries.

“I think they get to understand world cultures and how things effect the entire world,” Dickess said. “They see how the U.N. works together or doesn’t work together. They’re just getting some ideas of how the rest of the world lives.”

Dickess said that some sixth graders had even come to watch the show, including some Rock Hill sixth graders who made up their own county to represent: “Eurugly.”

Eighth graders Ryan Dick, Caleb Inboden and Chaz Steele had traveled from Fairland to represent Mozambique, except for Steele, who was Brazilian for a day.

“It’s pretty enjoyable to come here and pretend that you’re in the U.N., because a lot of people will never get to do that,” Dick said. “And you get to see people from other schools.”

Inboden, who was named one of 10 outstanding delegates, had another favorite facet of the process.

“One of the main reasons is that I’m kind of glad that I get out of school,” Inboden said with a laugh. “But you also get to learn things about other countries that you might never have learned before. Like Cuba, for example, I never knew that they had a naval base in Guantanamo Bay.”

Although Steele liked getting a cultural education, he was a little more interested in the combative side of the U.N.

“You get to argue with people and make multicultural conflict, so that’s always good,” Steele said.