Fall 2011 marked Aquinas’ 13th year of participation at the American Model United Nations conference, sponsored by the Political Science Department and POLIS (Political Studies Club). From November 19 to 22, 2011, Aquinas College brought a team of 39 students representing France and Myanmar to spend an extended weekend in Chicago role-playing as an international delegation along with over 1,400 other students from all over the world, including the U.S., China, Mali, Ghana, and Cameroon.

Aquinas students prepared for the conference by taking a special one-credit Model United Nations (MUN) class led by Dr. Roger Durham, professor and Chair of the Political Science Department, and Tim Ramsay, Programming and Building Coordinator for Campus Life. In terms of the class’s distinction Durham said, “We had one of the largest teams in the country, amazing for a school of our size.” For the class, students researched their assigned countries’ political history, current situation, and culture, and familiarized themselves with the structure of the United Nations. At the conference, they fused their knowledge and research to craft positions, policies, and pass resolutions. Their goal was to practice using debate and diplomatic skills as well as negotiation to resolve conflict in a manner similar to how the real United Nations operates.

“More important than having MUN appear on students’ resumes, Model UN helps develop public speaking and negotiation skills,” said Durham about what students learn at MUN conferences. “The problems of a diplomat are transferable skills to anything anyone might do.”

AQ senior Sarah Fast ‘12, a three-time participant, expressed a related sentiment. For her, the best part about the conferences “[has been] getting over my fear of public speaking and learning about the diplomatic process. I think the most valuable thing I've learned is that being a diplomat is really hard, so I have infinite respect for people who do that for a living.”

Paralleling Fast’s thoughts, Durham said: “The most important realization students have at the conference is about the process - it is really hard to get things done. But, if you’re persistent, then you can. It’s in informal negotiations answers are made. The formal process isn’t ignored, but you can best convince someone to agree with you in an informal situation. Students learn their strengths and weaknesses, real leadership skills, and have a good time.”

“I get satisfaction by watching students develop in their skills both from freshman to senior level [repeat participants] and at the micro level,” Durham said of his years advising and organizing the team. “From Saturday to Tuesday night - students walk in lost, by Sunday they’re frustrated, and by Monday they’ve got it going.”

Junior Sarah Parlette ‘13 has taken part in MUN every year because of the people. “It sounds a bit odd, I'm sure, but I don't go to MUN to practice for a future career,” she said. “I have no intention of becoming a diplomat or of going into international diplomacy. I am drawn to MUN because of the people I get to work with at AQ.”

Parlette said that the best part of the conferences is her fellow students: “They are intelligent, creative, quick-witted and driven to succeed. It’s great being able to go with a group of driven and highly intelligent kids my age to a big conference and watch them change from AQ students to AQ diplomats.”

While the conference can become competitive - top graduate school recruiters attend - that is not what the MUN experience is about in Fast’s opinion. “It's not a ‘winning’ activity,” she explained. “There's no prize for passing resolutions. I mean, you clap and have the personal satisfaction of creating something you can be proud of, but it ends there. In the UN you don't actually win awards either. No one's supposed to be a rock star and do everything, it's about working together.”

In addition to meeting new people and engaging in successful teamwork, students have the opportunity to hear top speakers. This fall, for example, Aquinas’ delegation had the privilege of listening to humanitarian Paul Rusesabagina, responsible for saving 1,269 refugees during the Rwandan Genocide in 1994, speak at the conference.

Aquinas’ MUN class is unique. In 2009, POLIS and the AQ Political Science Department created awards specifically for Aquinas students. While Aquinas students in the past the have been awarded Outstanding Overall Delegation and individual Outstanding Delegate at the conference, the AQ MUN group distributes their own, too. From Durham’s point of view, “Our own awards are more important.” The awards are: the Roosevelt Award [for newcomers], the Nelson Mandela Award for Outstanding Diplomacy under Adversity, the Dag Hammarskjold Award for Most Outstanding Diplomacy and Performance, and the Mary Robinson Award for Outstanding Leadership.

Fast and Parlette (a 2011 winner of the Nelson Mandela Award) are sincere advocates of the challenging program. They have, after all, been delegates throughout their entire AQ careers. Parlette explained, “My MUN adventures have been a highlight while I have been at AQ. Through the experience I have found that I have gotten to meet and work with great people who will go on to do great things.” Fast added, “It's essential. I've done it every year since I was a sophomore. I look forward to it every year.”