For those of you that don’t know, Western Carolina University has a Model United Nations Team and during the course of the fall semester they have competed against teams from other universities. The exciting part is that they have had great success and in both competitions they have received numerous awards.
The first competition was the Carolina’s United Nations Conference at UNC-Charlotte in October. The team received the Distinguished Delegation award for their portrayal of the United States and also received a Honorable Mention for their portrayal of Bangladesh.
At the same conference two students, Zach Edwardson and Katie Spear, received individual distinguished delegate awards. Max West and Shane Loorz also revived individual delegate honorable mentions.
The Model UN team continued its success at their second event of the semester, the Appalachian State Model United Nations Conference which was held in early November.The team won an excellent delegation award for its portrayal of the United Sates in the International Court of Justice and they also received an excellent delegation award for their portrayal of France. They also received an honorable mention for representing Canada.
The team is evaluated by their ability to represent their country, how they portray the policies of that country, how well they articulate issues, and how involved they are in the creation of resolutions.
According to Dr. Brian Wright, advisor of the Model UN team, the team encourages the development of skills that are essential in a global business and political environment. Things like research and writing skills, negotiation skills, public speaking, problem solving, consensus building, conflict resolution, compromise and cooperation.
Wright said, “This is like no other simulations. It highlights student’s academic experience and excellence.”
There are many different reasons why students should get involved with the Model United Nations team. WCU student Rodney Davis said, “It is a great resume builder and it is a great way to get involved,” he added, “it’s a great way to get a look at politics.” Another student, Chris Stoehrel said, “The best way to learn is a hands on approach.”
The two conferences in the fall help the team get ready for the National Model United Nations Conference that will be held in New York City at the United Nations Building in April of 2001.
