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Volume 40, Issue 13
April 22, 2003
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April 22, 2003
Students follow UN path
By Jennifer
Martin
Mesa Legend
The United Nations is the arena designed to create a global effort
to solve the adversities that challenge humanity.
“It’s amazing,” said Aaron Holtz, MCC student and participant
in the sessions. “It’s kind of like the World Series if you
like baseball.”
From April 25-29, students from 33 colleges and universities will meet
in San Francisco which is the city where 50 countries came together in
1945 to sign the United Nations Charter.
They will use their diplomatic skills to represent specific countries
and discuss issues pertaining to this year’s Model UN theme, “Sustainable
Future: Building Foundations for Global Peace.”
MCC will represent South Africa, and in doing so will have to adhere to
the country’s specific policies and beliefs.
“Part of the thing about Model UN is to try to understand other countries
and their point of view,” said Brian Dille, a political science professor
at MCC who organized the school’s involvement in the event.
Each model country will collectively write three policy statements that
communicate what the past UN policy was, what their country is doing currently,
and what their country would like to do in the future.
They will address current issues facing their countries.
Some of the topics listed on the agenda include post-conflict nation building,
preparing for and preventing bio-terrorism, and addressing the crisis
of contagious diseases in Africa, all of which must be thoroughly researched.
The Model UN “teaches students how to write clearly and communicate
effectively, which are essential life skills,” said Dille.
Students learn to understand the importance of diplomacy as a tool to
maintain positive relations with other nations.
The ultimate goal is to get the approval of the General Assembly.
They also learn the importance of maintaining relations with the media.
As an optional position, participants may write articles for the simulated
“World Press” which operates as a field of communication for
the five day event.
MCC has attended the event for at least 15 years and is well respected
within the organization.
“We get complete respect on the same level as private universities,”
Holtz said.
This year MCC will lead the program.
“We headed up the program four years ago, and we did such a good
job, they’ve been asking us each year since,” said Dille.
At last year’s conference Dille presented the idea of possibly hosting
the Model UN to his students over dinner.
He discussed the agenda with them and presented the program to the board
the next day.
“The group hammered out the program within a half hour. They’re
the cream of the crop, and it’s a pleasure to work with them,”
Dille added.
“Our students are very prepared. They often get appointed as leaders
of committees.”
Part of the reason for this lies wherein at MCC, Model UN is not just
a club, it’s also a class.
The 16 students prepare all year for the delegations.
The Model UN program is supported by the school.
This allows Dille the time to work with the students and also enables
students to participate who would not be able to without funding.
“At least half of the students couldn’t go without MCC funding,”
Dille pointed out. “That’s one reason I love this program.”
“It’s amazing how people rise to the challenge,” Holtz
said. “Normal kids empowered by just a little knowledge can do so
much. It’s really refreshing to be in a group with your peers that
are highly educated and are interested in global topics.”
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