By Alexander Rodriguez, Editor-In-Chief
Delegates of Germany take a photo at the end of conference – by Roger Durham
On Nov. 23 to Nov. 26, over 30 Aquinas students travelled into Chicago for the American Model United Nations after having prepared in countries Germany, Nauru, and Venezuela. With the guidance of Professor Roger Durham and Alumni Jana Einfeld, Aquinas’ time at the conference did not go unnoticed.
This conference hosts schools from all over the country and has been an event which Aquinas College has participated in for over 25 years. It is a ‘roleplay’ event, where each school spends their semester learning about their assigned country to create and pass resolutions.
Students not only are assigned their country each year, but are also given the opportunity to choose which committee they would like to focus on. Each committee has different topics ranging from economics, to human rights, global disarmament and more.
Each country is represented at the General Assembly (GA) 1st to 3rd and GA Plenary. With two representatives in each GA, it was difficult to see all the work that goes on during, however, Aquinas Students were a standout.
“I was in the 3rd General Assembly (GA3) that covered humanitarian issues such as literacy rates/education and rights of indigenous peoples,” said Representative Ryan Lozinski of Venezuela.
Representatives Grace Wilson and Emily Bissett of Germany worked to pass the first resolution in GA3. “With support for State sovereignty, the resolution looks to address the specific literacy issues that are the focus of each State,” said Representative Wilson. This action was major in the GA3, mainly because it was the first resolution passed, by an overwhelming majority.
“Representing Venezuela in the 2nd General Assembly (GA2) committee was an experience that helped me truly understand international diplomacy and how difficult it is to represent a middle income country that is also predominantly socialist.” said Representative Oniel Alvarez of Venezuela. “I don’t have many allies and it forced me to go out of my comfort zone and socialize.” When working on economics and finance in GA2, it was not easy for Alvarez and he faced plenty of challenges throughout the conference, but overall, “Attending the conference was more of a wake up call for what I wanted to do after I graduate college and gave me a straight vision for my future.” said Representative Alvarez.
Although there was plenty of representation in the General Assemblies, Aquinas also held roles in other positions such as Council on Economic and Social Affairs (ECOSOC), International Court of Justice (ICJ) and International Press Delegation (IPD).
“ECOSOC aims to tackle the problems facing much of the world relating to social and economic disparities particularly relating to environmental development,” said Representative Cal Schwartz of Germany.
This 4 day long conference is not an easy one, filled with nonstop work each day, but the overall consensus was that this is a great experience.
Students that have done this for more than one year have thought. “I had a great time meeting people from all over the country and getting to work together with students that have been mentored differently than I have,” said Representative Schwartz. “It is always a great experience and an amazing time”
Some first year students agreed that, “I would recommend doing Model UN to anyone that has the opportunity because it is an experience of a lifetime,” said Representative Alvarez.
“I am excited that I did AMUN this year and excited to do it next year as well,” said Representative Lozinski “It was a fun experience and I will recommend it for anyone.”
AMUN is not just an experience for students studying political science, but also an experience for the whole student body at Aquinas. Its program has been overwhelmingly successful, and this year, there were multiple students who won awards at the conference and Professor Durham’s Aquinas AMUN award ceremony, voted on by fellow delegates.
Delegates of Venezuela and Dr. Durham take a photo at the end of conference – by Isabelle Tackmann
Delegates of Nauru and Dr. Durham take a photo at the end of conference – by Isabelle Tackmann
List of Awards Below:
AMUN Awards Winners
Ethan Tennant and Kiera Troost: Best Delegation in GA2
Alexander Rodriguez: Best Written Article Award
Aquinas AMUN Award Winners:
Alexander Rodriguez and Madison Rempalski: The Roosevelt Award, Outstanding Newcomer
Alexa Perez, Will Blanchard and Oniel Alveraz: The Nelson Mandela Award for Outstanding Diplomacy under Adversity
Quinn Devries and Emily Bissett: The Ralph Bunche Award for Outstanding Leadership
Grace Wilson and Leah Rohrer: The Dag Hammarskjold Award for Most Outstanding Diplomacy and Performance
The Saint 