Model UN Team Places Second in National Competition

Fairmont State University’s Model United Nations team recently placed second as a Distinguished Delegation at the National Model United Nations Conference.

The Model UN team was first established on campus three years ago with the help of current advisor Dr. William Harrison, Assistant Professor of Political Science. This was the third year the team attended the national conference in New York City. Last year, the team placed third as an Honorable Mention Delegation.

Vice President of Model UN Emily Markham describes the accomplishments as rare for a team so young, as most schools take years to accomplish the same. This year, the conference held in April was attended by about 150 other schools. Fairmont State represented the South American Dutch country, Suriname.

The purpose of Model United Nations is to represent a country as a faux delegation and attend one of the many conferences around the country. During the conference, the team’s goal is to come up with resolutions to handle mock issues presented on committee agendas. These issues are based on real problems the United Nations faces.

“It’s a great experience. The students learn negotiation skills; they make great contacts for the future; and Fairmont State gets its name out on a global level,” Dr. Harrison said of the event.

In order for the team to prepare, the students wrote position papers for possible issues their team will have to handle, conduct a mock Model UN competition among themselves and hold bake sales to raise funds for their trip.

“Model United Nations was a really amazing opportunity. We were able to act as though we were really a part of the UN, got to know individuals from all over the world and learn more about real issues in today’s world,” said Daphne Ryan, a Political Science and National Security and Intelligence major graduating in May. This was her first year participating in Model UN.

All those who attended the event were MUN President Julian Pecora, Vice President Emily Markham, Amber Basnett, Bryson Butcher, Brittany Cameron, Yi Ting Lin, Brian Miller, Larry Ross, Daphne Ryan, Sarah Sakaguchi and Dr. William Harrison.

College of Liberal ArtsDr. William HarisonModel United Nations