Monmouth University’s Model United Nations (MUN) Team sent a group of seven students to the Pioneer Valley MUN Conference hosted by UMass Amherst. This annual three-day event attracts universities from around New England (University of Massachusetts Amherst, Amherst College, Mount Holyoke College, Smith College, etc.). This year’s conference challenge called on participants to debate and devise future rules for the Arctic region as the polar ice caps melt, opening up new shipping lanes for global trade as well as new opportunities for mining of critical minerals. A “scramble for the Arctic” is a current global fear. Students spent weeks researching the topic, consulting political science faculty, and crafting policy proposals for multilateral consideration, with the goal being to avoid Great Power conflict over the Arctic. The conference followed the rules of the United Nations. Monmouth students represented different countries and role-played how their country might negotiate on this topic.
Monmouth students put in strong performances across the board and won three of five individual speaking awards. Monmouth Head Delegate Philip Pussilano (Jr/PS-HLS) represented China and took home the Best Delegate Award. Chris Feliks (Jr/BS-PS) represented Russia and won Outstanding Delegate. Giavanna Cangialosi (Jr/PS) represented the United States and won Distinguished Delegate. Other Monmouth students logging strong performances were Warda Chowdhury (So/CE) representing Finland and Juli Casey (So/PS) representing Sweden. Kym Davis (So/PS) represented Canada and heroically fought off repeated attempts by other countries to procure Canadian territory! Lastly, Frank Dige (So/PS) represented Denmark. Competing at his first Model UN conference, he displayed shrewd diplomatic skills in securing his country’s continued sovereignty over Greenland.
The Model UN Team wishes to thank President Patrick F. Leahy for his unwavering efforts to make competitive academic student clubs and teams a priority at Monmouth, as well as the Student Government Association, the Political Science Program, the Leon Hess Business School, and the School of Science for their contributions, all of which make Monmouth student trips to Model UN conferences around the United States and Europe possible. Monmouth’s Model UN Team’s next conference will be in Oxford, England, at the end of October. Seven students and Professor Ken E. Mitchell will travel to the University of Oxford to compete at OxiMUN, one of Europe’s largest Model UN conferences. Finally, in November, 32 Monmouth students and Mitchell will compete at the National Model UN Conference in Washington, D.C. Go MUN Hawks!
