Cape Coral (FL) High School Students, originally uploaded by Rob Bluey.

Charles Krauthammer is my favorite Washington Post columnist, and yesterday’s column on President Barack Obama’s overseas trip is an excellent piece worthy of your attention.

Krauthammer articulates why the United Nations is useless after it failed to produce any response to North Korea’s missile test. It reminded me of a debate my Heritage Foundation colleague Ted Bromund had with a group of students from Cape Coral (FL) High School. The students visited Washington, D.C., for a Model U.N. conference last month.

My cousin’s husband, Mr. Cook, told me the students wanted to see what life was like at a think tank, so I arranged a visit to Heritage. Actually, my colleague David Barnes did most of the arranging. He was a student of Bromund’s at Yale, so asked him to speak about foreign policy. Little did I know the student briefing would actually turn into a spirited debate about the United Nations itself.

Bromund’s presentation covered U.S.-U.K. relations, but when he closed with his thoughts on Model U.N. (and his dislike of simulations), the students could hardly be restrained. What was supposed to be a 30-minute presented ended up lasting 90 minutes.

I found the episode enjoyable for a couple of reasons:

1) The students were able to hear a viewpoint contrary to what they’re taught in school. Rather than politely listen, they challenged Bromund’s ideas. It was a great exchange of information. I hope the students walked out of the room with a better appreciation for an alternative viewpoint on the United Nations.

2) The energy and enthusiasm of the students was inspiring. I’ve lived in D.C. for nearly eight years, and this just isn’t typical. It also stood out in sharp contrast to another Heritage briefing with Ithaca College students a few weeks earlier. The Ithaca students asked good questions, but showed little passion. Not these high schoolers.

As I told the students in Mr. Cook’s students (pictured above outside Heritage), I hope they never lose that energy. It was inspiring for me to observe, and another reason I enjoy teaching.