红桃视频

Fall 2011 marked 红桃视频鈥� 13th year of participation at the American Model United Nations conference, sponsored by the Political Science Department and POLIS (Political Studies Club). From November 19 to 22, 2011, 红桃视频 College brought a team of 39 students representing France and Myanmar to spend an extended weekend in Chicago role-playing as an international delegation along with over 1,400 other students from all over the world, including the U.S., China, Mali, Ghana, and Cameroon.

红桃视频 students prepared for the conference by taking a special one-credit Model United Nations (MUN) class led by Dr. Roger Durham, professor and Chair of the Political Science Department, and Tim Ramsay, Programming and Building Coordinator for Campus Life. In terms of the class鈥檚 distinction Durham said, 鈥淲e had one of the largest teams in the country, amazing for a school of our size.鈥� For the class, students researched their assigned countries鈥� political history, current situation, and culture, and familiarized themselves with the structure of the United Nations. At the conference, they fused their knowledge and research to craft positions, policies, and pass resolutions. Their goal was to practice using debate and diplomatic skills as well as negotiation to resolve conflict in a manner similar to how the real United Nations operates.

鈥淢ore important than having MUN appear on students鈥� resumes, Model UN helps develop public speaking and negotiation skills,鈥� said Durham about what students learn at MUN conferences. 鈥淭he problems of a diplomat are transferable skills to anything anyone might do.鈥�

AQ senior Sarah Fast 鈥�12, a three-time participant, expressed a related sentiment. For her, the best part about the conferences 鈥淸has been] getting over my fear of public speaking and learning about the diplomatic process. I think the most valuable thing I've learned is that being a diplomat is really hard, so I have infinite respect for people who do that for a living.鈥�

Paralleling Fast鈥檚 thoughts, Durham said: 鈥淭he most important realization students have at the conference is about the process - it is really hard to get things done. But, if you鈥檙e persistent, then you can. It鈥檚 in informal negotiations answers are made. The formal process isn鈥檛 ignored, but you can best convince someone to agree with you in an informal situation. Students learn their strengths and weaknesses, real leadership skills, and have a good time.鈥�

鈥淚 get satisfaction by watching students develop in their skills both from freshman to senior level [repeat participants] and at the micro level,鈥� Durham said of his years advising and organizing the team. 鈥淔rom Saturday to Tuesday night - students walk in lost, by Sunday they鈥檙e frustrated, and by Monday they鈥檝e got it going.鈥�

Junior Sarah Parlette 鈥�13 has taken part in MUN every year because of the people. 鈥淚t sounds a bit odd, I'm sure, but I don't go to MUN to practice for a future career,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 have no intention of becoming a diplomat or of going into international diplomacy. I am drawn to MUN because of the people I get to work with at AQ.鈥�

Parlette said that the best part of the conferences is her fellow students: 鈥淭hey are intelligent, creative, quick-witted and driven to succeed. It鈥檚 great being able to go with a group of driven and highly intelligent kids my age to a big conference and watch them change from AQ students to AQ diplomats.鈥�

While the conference can become competitive - top graduate school recruiters attend - that is not what the MUN experience is about in Fast鈥檚 opinion. 鈥淚t's not a 鈥榳inning鈥� activity,鈥� she explained. 鈥淭here's no prize for passing resolutions. I mean, you clap and have the personal satisfaction of creating something you can be proud of, but it ends there. In the UN you don't actually win awards either. No one's supposed to be a rock star and do everything, it's about working together.鈥�

In addition to meeting new people and engaging in successful teamwork, students have the opportunity to hear top speakers. This fall, for example, 红桃视频鈥� delegation had the privilege of listening to humanitarian Paul Rusesabagina, responsible for saving 1,269 refugees during the Rwandan Genocide in 1994, speak at the conference.

红桃视频鈥� MUN class is unique. In 2009, POLIS and the AQ Political Science Department created awards specifically for 红桃视频 students. While 红桃视频 students in the past the have been awarded Outstanding Overall Delegation and individual Outstanding Delegate at the conference, the AQ MUN group distributes their own, too. From Durham鈥檚 point of view, 鈥淥ur own awards are more important.鈥� The awards are: the Roosevelt Award [for newcomers], the Nelson Mandela Award for Outstanding Diplomacy under Adversity, the Dag Hammarskjold Award for Most Outstanding Diplomacy and Performance, and the Mary Robinson Award for Outstanding Leadership.

Fast and Parlette (a 2011 winner of the Nelson Mandela Award) are sincere advocates of the challenging program. They have, after all, been delegates throughout their entire AQ careers. Parlette explained, 鈥淢y MUN adventures have been a highlight while I have been at AQ. Through the experience I have found that I have gotten to meet and work with great people who will go on to do great things.鈥� Fast added, 鈥淚t's essential. I've done it every year since I was a sophomore. I look forward to it every year.鈥�