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SLU-Madrid Delegation Triumphs at Model UN in Menton

by Katherine Gortz

A delegation of six SLU-Madrid students traveled to Menton, France, for the Mediterranean Model United Nations Conference.

Model UN is an educational activity in which student delegates engage in negotiations simulating those of the United Nations (and other international organizations). Participants become more well-versed in diplomacy as they role-play how to solve real world problems. 

The conference took place on the Menton campus of Sciences Po in the picturesque French Riviera. Students from all over Europe, the Middle East and beyond were in attendance, making for not only an exciting debate in committee sessions, but also a cross-cultural exchange during the organized social events which took place in Menton and in Monte Carlo, Monaco.

Menton Model UN

During a break between committee sessions, SLU-Madrid Model UN delegates (from left) Monica Carroll, Arcadia Wisnik, Natalie Eriksen and Addie Knight pause for a photo at a scenic overlook along the French Riviera.

The theme for this year’s conference was “Peace, Security, and Freedom.” The SLU-Madrid delegates represented Haiti, Chile and Belarus, serving on the Press Committee, 1973 Yom Kippur Crisis Reenactment, the Security Council, and the General Assembly. A source of fruitful debate, conference topics ranged from child soldiers in South Sudan to how the Security Council should respond to the impacts of the Khashoggi Affair.

According to SLU-Madrid’s Model UN Club president Addie Knight, “Model UN provides students the opportunity to meet people from all over the world and improve their public speaking and diplomacy skills.” In addition to Knight, Tristan Kirkland, Arcadia Wisnik, Evan Shafer, Monica Carroll and Natalie Eriksen attended the conference in Menton. Other members of the club have also participated in Model UN conferences in Amsterdam and The Hague this semester.