Alana Glenn
Staff Writer
The University of La Verne’s Model United Nations has put themselves on the map after bringing home three distinguished delegate awards at an intercollegiate competition held at UC Santa Barbara last month.
Model United Nations, also known as Model UN or MUN, is an extra-curricular activity in which students typically role play as delegates to the United Nations and simulate UN committees with real world issues.
Advised and coached by Assistant Professor of Political Science Juli Minoves-Triquell, students practice by brushing up on current events and performing drills to improve writing, researching and public speaking.
“Model UN is a lot of fun and at the same time a perfect vehicle for learning about international affairs and public speaking,” Minoves-Triquell said. Students involved with the club say practice not only makes perfect, but also helps to gain confidence.
“We do daily MUN simulations in class in order to prepare our delegates to attend and compete in MUN conferences,” junior political science major Edgar Ortiz said of his team.
“These simulations, complimented with intensive research on countries and UN bodies, help our delegates become confident public speakers, enhance their diplomacy skills, and learn more about global politics.”
Even with fresh new members, the 23-member team received compliments on their engaging involvement during at UC Santa Barbara last month.
“I took home an award for playing the role of Iran’s former president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad,” said junior political science major Mary Anne Mendoza.
“It was extremely flattering and relieving to receive it because this was my first time participating in a conference and my first full semester in the activity.”
Mendoza was one of three other students to bring home awards from the UC Santa Barbara competition.
Students now look to preparing themselves for their next competition here at home.
“Our delegates are showing a budding enthusiasm for the activity and we plan to increase practices and training for them come January,” Mendoza said.
For the second time, La Verne will host the Model Arab League Conference, which will take place in March.
“Our hope is to provide attending schools with a reason to keep La Verne MUN on their radar because we will be a force to be reckoned with,” Mendoza said.
The club has currently begun expanding relations with nearby colleges and universities, giving the students at La Verne a chance for more practice and new connections.
Alana Glenn can be reached at alana.glenn@laverne.edu.
