Wright State’s Model UN team returns from South Korea with multiple awards

From left: Wright State Model UN team members Angelica Loyd, Hanna Tarbert, Jonas Kiessling and Josh Cummins display their awards at a conference in South Korea.

Visits to the Korean Demilitarized Zone and the Changdeokgung Palace as well as winning international honors highlighted a trip to South Korea by Wright State University’s Model United Nations team.

During the Model UN conference in Seoul, the group won the most awards of any team. They were honored as Outstanding Delegation in the UN Forum on Climate Change and for outstanding position paper; Outstanding Delegation in the Economic and Social Council and outstanding position paper; and overall Distinguished Delegation.

The four Wright State delegates were Angelica Loyd, Hanna Tarbert, Jonas Kiessling and Josh Cummins.

“We are thankful for all the support we received and the chance to showcase Wright State’s talent on an international scale,” said Loyd.

The Model UN conference enables students to research and formulate political positions of actual countries. Universities from around the world—including delegations from Japan, Russia, Hong Kong, Canada and the Philippines—took part.

“They represented Wright State extremely well,” said Donna Schlagheck, Ph.D., faculty advisor for Wright State’s Model UN program.

The Wright State students, who left Nov. 22 and returned Dec. 2, were also able to visit the Korean Demilitarized Zone, a heavily militarized strip of land that serves as a buffer zone between North and South Korea. In addition, they visited the Changdeokgung Palace, a structure built in a Seoul park by the kings of the Joseon Dynasty and currently on the UNESCO World Heritage List of the most culturally significant sites.

“The cultural excursions provided students with a deep understanding of South Korea’s viewpoint and an overview of the Korean lifestyle,” said Loyd.