Model UN Named Distinguished Delegation

VALDOSTA - The Model UN team from Valdosta State University won its second consecutive Distinguished Delegation Award at the National Model UN Conference held March 16-23 at the United Nations in New York City, N.Y. The local team also captured one of the prestigious “Outstanding Position Paper” awards for the first time and received an invitation to the first ever conference in Xian China.

The local team competed against 180 others from all over the world. Team members simulated Cuban representatives at a mock UN sessions with the responsibility of representing the policy positions of the Cuban government as authentically as possible. They also had the opportunity to visit the Cuban Mission and meet a Cuban diplomat to question him about his UN policies.

The Distinguished Delegation award placed the VSU team in the top 15 percent for the second time; the team has also placed as an Honorable Mention at the conference in the past. The Outstanding Position Paper award was a first for the group, which submitted eight papers total. Papers were submitted prior to the event and assessed by the conference collectively based on the quality of student research and preparation, according to VSU Model UN faculty sponsor Dr. Carol Glen.

“The Model UN team members were great ambassadors for VSU,” Glen said. “Their hard work and preparation b efore the trip was clearly evident during the conference and the win was richly deserved.”

The stellar performance won VSU’s team an invitation to a Model UN conference in Xian China. The very selective competition will be open to no more than 200 US students, so the local group is honored by the invitation. Students involved are working hard to fundraise so that it can represent VSU and the US with pride at the Chinese competition.

Valdosta State’s model UN team has been existence for decades. With Glen as the sponsor for the past 13 years, the team typically attends two competitions per year and hosts one for high school students on campus in February. For more information about Model UN at VSU or for opportunities to give to the team, call Carol Glen at (229) 245-4383 or email her at cmglen@valdosta.edu .