BY Steven Masso
Eight UTRGV students attended the annual conference of the National Model United Nations in New York City in March, and brought home two awards.
The students made the trip as part of a special topics course in political science taught by Dr. Michelle Keck, associate professor of political science, who also serves as the adviser for the UTRGV Model UN Club.
The Model UN organization gives students hands-on experience by having them participate in educational simulations of UN meetings and other activities dealing with international relations.
This year’s conference dealt with issues regarding the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, the International Organization for Migration, the Third Committee of the General Assembly of the United Nations, and more than a dozen other international agencies.
Seniors Janet Ekezie and Giovanni Rosas Escobedo won a position paper award for the General Assembly 3 Committee – which means their paper was judged to be in the top 10 percent of all the papers entered. The paper addressed the topics of religious intolerance, ensuring equitable access to education and the right to self-determination.
In addition, the entire UTRGV delegation, representing Sierra Leone, won an honorable mention delegation award.
“It was challenging and required a lot of research,” Escobedo said. “For instance, I may personally lean more progressive, but we had to step back and look at the population of Sierra Leone to get their perspective in order to make the best decision.”
Ekezie said the conference is especially important for students interested in working at the international level.
“Even if you aren’t a political science major, this is a great opportunity to address huge issues, create awareness and set the tone,” she said.
This is the second year UTRGV has had students participate in the conference.
The trip was sponsored by the UTRGV Office of Global Engagement, the College of Liberal Arts, and the Division of Student Success.
Following are the students who went to New York City.
· Michael Schlater
· Ebony Sauceda
· Janet Ekezie
· Fernando Rodriguez
· Samantha Acuna
· Jose Escobedo
· Phillip Taboada
· Giovanni Rosas Escobedo
Keck said the conference has many benefits for the students.
“They do public speaking, writing, problem-solving, and get to practice their negotiation skills,” she said. “And the conference is an international competition, so they get to interact with other students from all over the world.”
