2008 Woodie Awards
Model UN
Erika Rohrssen
Issue date: 11/24/04 Section: News
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On Saturday November 13, Manhattan College's Model UN team returned home after attending the Invitational Model UN conference in Washington D.C.
Manhattan students who are involved in the co-curricular club attended the conference to gain experience for the National Model UN conference in the spring.
According to Model UN director Dr. Pamela Chasek, "the idea of the people running [the conference] was to prepare students for more rigorous Model UN conferences." She continued to explain that the main function of this particular conference was to help students become more acquainted with how the delegation runs.
While at the conference, students prepared speeches and resolutions based on how the country they were representing, which was Russia, would handle given problems.
Head delegate for the conference, productions editor, Mia Gross, said that each student studies the position for each topic in the different committees. "We had to discuss how Russia felt about each situation, even if it differed from our own view," said Gross.
This Invitational differed in many ways from the National competition in the spring. According to Gross, "the atmosphere was more laid back and less stressful. Many new people didn't know the proper terms and [the conference] didn't mind stopping to explain them."
While stopping to explain things might have slowed down the process and bored veterans to the Model UN, it served its purpose of helping the new students become more involved in the entire process. Dr Chasek said, " many of the new students felt it was a great leaning environment and a good preparation for the spring." Newcomer to the group Jaime Lammarco agreed with Dr. Chasek and said, "I think for new students it was a good preparation for future prospects of Model UN." Lammarco continued to say that the conference not only improved her techniques for debating and working with the Model UN, but it also enhanced her communication skills.
Since it was the first year for the conference, there were some minor problems. For example, many schools opted to decline the invitation in order to attend more established conferences, including ones that are too expensive for Manhattan to attend. Dr. Chasek added, "it was too small and they needed more diversity, but it has potential. The people running it have a lot of experience."
Manhattan students who are involved in the co-curricular club attended the conference to gain experience for the National Model UN conference in the spring.
According to Model UN director Dr. Pamela Chasek, "the idea of the people running [the conference] was to prepare students for more rigorous Model UN conferences." She continued to explain that the main function of this particular conference was to help students become more acquainted with how the delegation runs.
While at the conference, students prepared speeches and resolutions based on how the country they were representing, which was Russia, would handle given problems.
Head delegate for the conference, productions editor, Mia Gross, said that each student studies the position for each topic in the different committees. "We had to discuss how Russia felt about each situation, even if it differed from our own view," said Gross.
This Invitational differed in many ways from the National competition in the spring. According to Gross, "the atmosphere was more laid back and less stressful. Many new people didn't know the proper terms and [the conference] didn't mind stopping to explain them."
While stopping to explain things might have slowed down the process and bored veterans to the Model UN, it served its purpose of helping the new students become more involved in the entire process. Dr Chasek said, " many of the new students felt it was a great leaning environment and a good preparation for the spring." Newcomer to the group Jaime Lammarco agreed with Dr. Chasek and said, "I think for new students it was a good preparation for future prospects of Model UN." Lammarco continued to say that the conference not only improved her techniques for debating and working with the Model UN, but it also enhanced her communication skills.
Since it was the first year for the conference, there were some minor problems. For example, many schools opted to decline the invitation in order to attend more established conferences, including ones that are too expensive for Manhattan to attend. Dr. Chasek added, "it was too small and they needed more diversity, but it has potential. The people running it have a lot of experience."