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A year after the formation of the Model United Nations Club, president Diana Galperin ’08 (Warminster, Pa.) believes the club has succeeded in its goal of preparing its members for the Harvard National Model United Nations.
In February, 12 Lafayette students represented Albania at the Model UN, which was held in downtown Boston and is the longest running college-level simulation in the world.
According to Galperin, a Marquis Scholar and a double major in French and international affairs, getting ready for the event is a year-long process, which has been facilitated by organizing the new club.
Previously, preparation for the Model UN was the role of the International Affairs Club, but because the simulation requires so much work, little time was left for club members to do anything else.
“I think having a separate Model United Nations Club is better because it allows the IA Club to focus on other projects instead of just preparing for the conference,” says Galperin. “It also allows for a more diverse body of people to participate. Because this is now a separate club, people who aren’t traditionally involved in IA are more likely to get involved.”
The Model UN Club, which has already begun preparing for next year’s conference, meets throughout the year so members can research the country they have been assigned to represent. They practice public speaking and using parliamentary procedures, form committees for specific topics, write position papers, and also organize the actual trip.
“The research involves more than just knowing the basic facts,” says Galperin. “You really have to put yourself in the shoes of the representatives of that country’s government. You have to consider how the country would react in this or that situation. How does the country interact with others? On which issues can the country negotiate and which issues will it absolutely not budge?”
Galperin believes the entire experience has helped her in the classroom. One issue the team focused on was the democratization of the Balkans, which refers to countries in Southeastern Europe. The team drafted a comprehensive resolution taking into consideration issues such as education, the use of small arms, and employment. Later in the semester, Galperin was very prepared when she studied the process of democratization in one of her government courses.
Other students who participated in this year’s conference were: Karen Bouldin ’08 (Everett, Wash.), an international affairs major; Preeza Shrestha ’08 (Kathmandu, Nepal), a double major in art and economics and business; Daniela Otterloo ’09 (Sao Paulo, Brazil), an international affairs major; Daniela Ochoa-Diaz ’08 (Davie, Fla.), an international affairs major; Marquis Scholar Megan Gagliardi ’08 (Hanover Township, Pa.), an economics and business major; Denila Deliallisi ’09 (Tirana, Albania), a civil engineering major; Al-Amin Kheraj ’08 (Easton, Pa.), an international affairs major; Pablo Torres ’07 (Ocala, Fla.), an international affairs major; Mauricio Leyva ’07 (Valhalla, N.Y.), an international affairs major; Vijay Krishnan ’07 (Karnataka, India), a double major in international affairs and economics & business; and Colin Lancaster ’09 (Pottstown, Pa.) an international affairs major.