One student helped prevent a mock-genocide, a second and third reached a mass compromise, a fourth wore Egypt’s beliefs and all four won top awards.
Alex Battaglia, Erin Whitfield, France Galloh and Corolyn Casey won the highest awards at the Model UN conference February 22-25.
The around 100-student conference was a miniature version of the United Nations. It was composed of four committees who all reconvened in a Plenary the fourth day. There was also the Security Council, a separate group, which faced a Sudan mock-genocide partway through the conference.
Despite only two days of research due to a sudden country change, senior Alex Battaglia won “Outstanding Delegate” and “Delegates Choice,” which are the highest awards typically won by two separate delegates.
Senior Erin Whitfield’s and senior France Galloh’s delegation of Ireland was given one of two “Outstanding Delegation” awards and sophomore Carolyn Casey won “Best Position Paper-Honorable Mention”.
While Battaglia, representing Japan, debated one of three topics, a news alert reached the Security Council about the beginnings of a genocide in Sudan. Delegates dropped all previous discussion to focus on the pressing issue when they suggested the government of South Sudan meet with Kazackstan to stop the conflict.
“We prevented a genocide that would have been as bad as a real one,” Battaglia said.
Meanwhile, in the Economic and Social committee, Erin Whitfield and France Galloh playing Israel managed to reach compromises on every topic that was brought up.
The key was focusing on a central idea that all nations could agree on including food security and clean water and places to live.
“You just agree on one central point and then you just have to work on the wording after that,” Whitfield said.
Casey, in her research paper before the conference, maintained a solid idea of what Egypt looked like and had to put on that country like a mask.
“The viewpoint I had to communicate about refugees, human rights, government oversight, and other issues was a viewpoint I would never have had to consider outside my participation in MUN,” Casey said.
Overall, the Model UN was about debate and compromise within a world of issues.
“It’s not as if those issues will just disappear once our parents leave positions of power,” Battaglia said. “We want to step in because it takes people to fix those problems.”
Photo Courtesy of UCA Model United Nations Facebook Page
