Wednesday, January 11, 2006
CLASS PUTS UNITED NATIONS KNOWLEDGE TO THE TEST

MEDIA CONTACT: Cynthia Drake, (989) 774-7333
CONTACT: David Jesuit, (989) 774-2795

Thirty Central Michigan University political science students got a real-world taste for their subject matter at a Model United Nations summit in Chicago in November.

It was the second time an entire class of CMU students has participated in the American Model United Nations International Conference.

The class, led by political science faculty member David Jesuit, prepared for the conference all semester by learning the ins and outs of the United Nations. Jesuit said the course was an outgrowth of student initiative and interest in the United Nations.

The students were Alexandria Fraley, Jesse Robertson and Jaime Krueger of Mount Pleasant; Rikki Franz of New Baltimore; John Kaczynski of Midland; Jenaba Kamara of Detroit; Jonathon Krajenka of Kinde; Jessica O’Higgins of White Lake; Tashana Taylor of Benton Harbor; Jodi Winelan of Owosso; Patrick Hargis of Battle Creek; David Squires of Commerce Township; Kimberly Sawchuk of Oxford; Patrick Miller of Highland; Amber Curl of Jenison; Sarah Hank of Holt; Will Tomlinson and Vylissa Tyus of Lansing; Steve Valdez of Muskegon; Amy Sweier of Rochester Hills; Katherine Grice of Boyne City; Dan Ramalia of South Lyon; Chris Naab of Chelsea; Sonia Borboni of Shelby Township; Audra McClure of Traverse City; McKenna Melich of Monroe; Lynn Wloszek of Woodhaven; Jeff Erman of Joplin, Mo.; and Benjamin Machar of Colchester, Vt.

The class split into three delegations for the conference, representing Bolivia, Angola and The Syrian Arab Republic.

By the time they got to Chicago for the conference, which ran Nov. 18 through 21, they were armed with information about the countries they would represent and about the processes used by the United Nations. They worked with 1,200 students from almost 90 different schools.

“The students had to learn the rules and procedures of the United Nations,” Jesuit said. “After the first full day, there was a good deal of frustration. I think that was an important thing to learn — that when you have 190 countries, it’s very difficult to reach any kind of consensus.”

Topics included the illicit trade of small arms and diamonds and resolving issues related to women rights.

“I think they learned a great deal. They did very well,” Jesuit said.