2008 Woodie Awards
International Relations Council travels to New York City to participate in Model UN
Eirinn Disbrow
Issue date: 4/5/07 Section: News
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This was the first time the College's International Relations Council attended one of these conferences. The Council, which was started last semester by Meghan Courtney '07, Libby Hill '07, Katherine Hesselink-Hicks '07 and Brian Galgano '08, has already been a very active political organization on campus. They have participated in Poverty Awareness Week and are also planning a conference to discuss the politics of Iraq.
Members of the Council wanted to participate in Model UN to become more involved with Model United Nations and to have a clearer understanding of the UN's structure and internal rules. They applied last October and were given the country of Somalia. Galgano explains, "Throughout the spring semester our group met every Wednesday night at 9:00 p.m. to discuss world issues, current events and the politics of Somalia." Despite the frequent meetings and discussions, he felt slightly unprepared during the conference. Galgano says, "This is the first time any of us had ever competed in Model UN on a collegiate level. However, the conference was an amazing experience, and it provided us with an excellent sense of how to prepare for next year."
Students from all over the United States and different countries around the world attended the conference at the Sheraton Towers in Times Square. Each of the nine members of the College's United Nations Conference were paired up and placed on various committees such as the General Assembly Plenary, General Assembly 4th, World Health Organization and African Development Bank. After the debate, members attended a closing ceremony in General Assembly Hall at the UN building.
The International Relations Council is very grateful to have participated in such an exceptional experience. "We thank Student Council for their support in sending us to this prestigious conference and hope that it is something our club will continue to attend," says Galgano. The council hopes to attend a Model UN Conference in the fall and then again next spring. Anyone interested in attending a Model UN conference can easily join and participate in the College's International Relations Council. "We welcome the attendance of any students at our meetings and look forward to seeing new faces," says Galgano. The International Relations Council is an excellent venue for students to discuss world issues and hear students' differing points of view. The Council has many plans to continue its UN involvement and hopefully add to a big part of the political life here on campus.