Model UN competes in national, international meet

By Lagena McBride, Herald Staff

The Arkansas State University Model United Nations has recently concluded two meets where they debated real world issues and devised solutions, said Dr. Charles Hartwig, an associate professor of political science and ASU Model UN adviser.

Five ASU Model UN delegates met in Chicago for the American Model United Nations International meet Nov. 17-20, where they represented Yemen. Members included David Boling of Jonesboro, Sarah Jones of Conway, Gaylon Rainwater of Knobel, Kylie Wickerham of Bloomsdale, Mo., and Amy Williams of Paragould.

According to Hartwig, the conference was the largest Model UN meeting that ASU has ever participated in. More than 1,000 college student delegates from around the USA and several foreign countries met in Chicago's Hyatt-Regency Hotel.

The delegates of Chicago were able to choose the country they represented, Hartwig said.

"Yemen was an Arab country, and we had some people who had been a part of the Arab League delegation last spring, so they had a little background. Also, it was a country that had some interesting things going on in 1990.

Yemen abstained when Iraq invaded Kuwait, along with China. Plus, Dr. Marlay had been there last year, and was able to give us a briefing about Yemen."

Delegates enjoyed the Chicago conference, but had to adapt to some rule changes.

"Chicago was a good conference, but it was a little different from the ones we usually we go to. The rules and regulation procedures were a little bit different than what most conferences are. We had to adopt our debate a little. Overall, it was a really good conference though. It was well structured," said Rainwater, a senior political science major.

While there, the delegates won the American Model United Nations Trivia Contest.

The ASU Model UN is planning to return to Chicago next year and have pre-registered. They have been assigned the country of Bulgaria, which is on the security council.

"It is nice to get into a smaller group," Hartwig said. "They had over 200 people. It was gigantic, but the security council is just 15, 30 max."

Christi Crawford, who was sponsored by the ASU International Press Corps organization, also attended the Chicago American Model United Nations International meet where she served on the press team. The team published a twice-daily newspaper called the "AMUN Daily Chronicle" during the four-day conference.

"As far as the journalism aspect, it was great," said Crawford, a junior public relations major of Jonesboro. "We wrote about what was going on, we covered the news of the day, but there was not much student involvement and leadership. I thought we were going to be the ones that were in charge of what was going on. I thought we were going to be able to be the publishers, the editors, the people who actually did the stuff. Instead they had a paid editor and a paid publisher, and they told us what to do, when to do it, how to do it, and why we were supposed to do it that way.

"I'm a public relations major, so I'm more on the creative end. I felt like I was wasted. I was not able to use my talents to benefit the "Daily Chronicle" as they call it. They would not even let us name it. But it was fun overall. I did improve my writing skills, but I did not get to do what I wanted to do, but I guess that would happen anywhere."

While six of the Model UN members were in Chicago, nine delegates were at the University of Central Arkansas in Conway at the 36th annual Arkansas Model United Nations meet on Nov. 16-17.

According to Hartwig, the ASU Model UN broke precedence and went off to two different places simultaneously. The more experienced delegates went to Chicago, while the newcomers went to UCA.

These delegates were James Holifield of Paragould, who acted as the Head Delegate, Heather Banks of Magnolia, Shallen Carroll of Paragould, Sheena Clark of Memphis, Tenn., Rhett Weeks of Harrisburg, Chanekka Williams of West Memphis and Cameron Wimpy of Harrisburg.

These members were assigned, through a lottery, the country of Jamaica, which is on the Security Council.

"The security council is a special committee within the UN, and the major countries have a permanent seat. The minor countries rotate, and they discuss current events issues," said Carroll, a sophomore political science major.

While on the security council, the delegates discussed terrorism, drug cartels in Columbia and conflicts in Pakistan and India.

The ASU Model UN is by no means through for the year. In the spring semester they will be going to the Midwest Model UN in St. Louis, and ASU will hold their own Model UN for high school students and colleges.