Once again Wright State ranks among best at Model UN conference

Wright State received a Distinguished Delegation award at the National Model United Nations Conference March 27-31.

For the 37th consecutive year, Wright State’s Model United Nations team earned a delegation award at the national conference in New York City.

Tasked with representing the Islamic Republic of Iran, Wright State’s team received a Distinguished Delegation award at the National Model United Nations Conference March 27-31.

Wright State students also received five Outstanding Position Paper awards:
• Mike Gross and Amani Massey: General Assembly, first committee
• Samantha Hall: General Assembly, fourth committee
• Amanda Baker: Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons
• Ummey Tabassum: UNICEF
• Dan Palmer: UNIDO

“I am proud of our team for tackling the challenging country of Iran. They had to set aside preconceptions, and they performed professionally,” said Vaughn Shannon, associate professor of political science and one of the team’s advisers.

During the conference, students participated in a briefing by the Iranian Mission to the United Nations.

Wright State students and faculty advisers participated in a briefing by the Iranian Mission to the United Nations.

“The Mission briefing from the Iranian UN Delegation was a unique experience, to say the least. The Iranian Mission personnel were very welcoming with their time and space, and our students got a lot from the experience,” Shannon said.

The Model UN is a conference similar to that of the United Nations in which students participate as delegates to various UN committees. The participants research and formulate political positions based on the actual policies of the countries they represent.

At Wright State, preparation for the conference involves more than just writing papers and learning a country’s national policy. Delegates are taught how to implement a country’s policy, how to dress, how to act in committee and what to expect from other countries they will work with in committee.

The team’s faculty advisers are Shannon and Liam Anderson, professor of political science.

The team includes head delegates Angie Loyd and Garrett Teets and members Eric Allen, Amanda Baker, Paige Bokman, Crystal Burns, Katie Chaney, Allyson Clark, Elizabeth Crisler, Mike Gross, Samantha Hall, Caroline Hoffman, Jessica Loving, Amani Massey, Dan Palmer, Cody Smith and Ummey Tabassum.