Students Participated in Model United Nations International Conference, Won Awards

Fourteen Westminster College students and their faculty adviser participated in the 21st annual American Model United Nations International Conference Nov. 20-23 in Chicago.

Political science majors Katelyn Moga and Jared Palonis won an Outstanding Delegation Award for their work on the Historical Security Council. This was the first award won by Westminster students at the conference after three appearances.

The students were members of Model U.N. at Westminster and were among nearly 1,500 students from more than 80 colleges and universities attending the conference.

Westminster's delegation actively represented New Zealand in simulations of seven U.N. committees, sponsoring several resolutions on a wide range of issues that included: child labor; protection of the global climate; status of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty; establishing common standards for the transfer of conventional arms; the situations in Bosnia and Rwanda; and south-south development cooperation.

The students were accompanied by Dr. Michael Aleprete, Westminster assistant professor of political science and faculty adviser to Model U.N. at Westminster. He was pleased with the strength of the Westminster delegation across all the committees: "Top to bottom, this was our most competitive delegation and I am very pleased with how active our students were at the conference."

Westminster students received travel/presentation grants from Westminster's Drinko Center for Exellence in Teaching and Learning and Department of Political Science and Sociology, as well as the Global Solutions Education Fund Pittsburgh.

The Drinko Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning was created to enrich undergraduate education at Westminster through advancing world-class teaching as well as by participating in collaborations that address community and regional needs including strengthening K-12 education. The Undergraduate Research Initiative provides funding for students to conduct research and to present their research at regional and national conferences.

Contact Aleprete at (724) 946-7254 or e-mail alepreme@westminster.edu for additional information.

Front (l-r): Troy LaCorte, Emily Saulsbery, Leah Wilson, Teresa Whetstone, Rebecca Ray, Katelyn Moga, Jared Palonis, Alex Scull. Back (l-r): Ian Pickens, Michael Katrancha, Jeremy Hoover, Robert Vavrinak, Dr. Michael Aleprete, Brandon Shallenberger, Shane Swigart.