Twelve Hamilton College students traveled to Philadelphia the weekend of November 2-5 to participate in the University of Pennsylvania Model United Nations Conference (UPMUNC). These students are members of Model United Nations, an organization which enables students to attend various Model UN conferences throughout the year. The purpose of the organization is to improve public speaking and writing skills while learning about the official UN procedures.
Participants in this conference were Matt D'Amico '08, Rachel Horowitz '09, Kari Arneson '10, Matt Arnold '09, Melissa Kong '08, Tyler Logan '09, Sarah Moore '09, Ryan M. Murphy '08, Amanda Pooler '08, Danielle Raulli '10, Mike Viveiros '08, and Ntokozo Xaba '08.
At a Model UN conference, students are assigned a country to represent. This year Hamilton represented two countries. Seven students represented delegates from Latvia, while five others represented Bosnia and Herzegovina. The delegates represented their countries' viewpoints on a variety of committees, all of which are committees in the United Nations. This year, Hamilton had delegates on committees including Legal, NATO, Special Political, Social, Humanitarian, and Cultural, and Disarmament.
Throughout the weekend, the students spent many hours in committee, writing resolutions to solve problems that are being discussed in the United Nations. These topics included: the Middle East, Avian Flu, Paramilitary Groups, UN Reform, and Humanitarian Aid.
In the spring semester, Model United Nations plans to travel to the Harvard National Model United Nations Conference, where they will be representing the Philippines. In the past, they have attended conferences in Washington D.C. and Montreal.
Hamilton Model United Nations is funded by the Levitt Center, the Office of the President, the Office of the Dean of Students, the Office of the Dean of Faculty and Student Assembly.
-- by Matt D'Amico '08
