ASU Student Model UN Meet Leads to Awards for High School Delegates

Nov. 12, 2009 -- Arkansas State University's student Model UN organization concluded its fall conference in Jonesboro on Saturday, Oct. 3, with awards for excellence given to several of the participating “ambassadors.”  Some 85 high school and college students from around the state debated current world topics such as the North Korean and Iran nuclear situations, and dealing with failed states in four separate committees, which all met simultaneously. 

Awards at the fall semester ASU Model UN competition last Friday and Saturday on the ASU  campus were made by the ASU Model UN organization members, who ran the sessions, with each committee/council selecting one of their committee’s members for a “delegates’ choice” award as well.  Russellville High School’s Stephanie Gray, received one of the two top delegation awards for her performance as the representative of China in the real-time Security Council during the two-day meet, with the other top award in the Security Council going to Akshay Krishnan and Brett McClain, of Little Rock’s Pulaski Academy, who represented the Russian Federation. 

The “Delegates’ Choice” award went to Pulaski Academy’s Vietnam delegation of Audrey Dunn, and Chole Malone. Honorable mentions in the Security Council for Pulaski Academy were Laura Adametz and Kristin Topich, representing Mexico, and Dennis Rosdachavsti, who represented Turkey. While the other honorable mentions went to Russellville High School’s Ashton Sorrels, for representing Burkina Faso.  In the Historical Security Council, set in 1950, Pulaski Academy’s Elisha Kang and Eric Billaud took the top delegation award for representing India, with the “Delegates’ Choice” award going to Haley Martin of Russellville, who represented Norway.

Honorable mention awards went to Greene County Tech’s Shena Dickson, for representing the United Kingdom, the Cuban ambassadors from Russellville, Kate Loyd and Abbie Nicholson, and Sarish Lone of Pulaski Academy, for representing Egypt.  In the special political committee, the Russellville high school  diplomat  Micah Hunter, who represented China, took the “Top Delegate” award, with the Russian Federation delegation of John Ozdemir and Abdullah Murad from Pulaski Academy,  receiving the “Delegates’ Choice” award.  Honorable mentions in this committee went to two Pulaski Academy delegations—the Russian delegation of John Ozdemir and Abdullah Murad, plus the team of T.C. Zhang and Maaz Ahmad, who represented Turkey.

The remaining honorable mention award went to the Valley View high school team representing Croatia of Blake Bost and Betsy Hegger.  In the International Court of Justice simulation, the outstanding judge award went to Pulaski Academy’s Rizan Moshin, who was also elected president of the ICJ by her colleagues.  Two ASU Moot Court Team members took the roles of lawyers for countries involved in ICJ cases:  Kenneth Blair of Piggott and Josh Adkerson of Paragould, while Moot Court Coach Dr. Hans Hacker of the Political Science Department filled in as the advocate for Namibia on short notice Saturday.

The committee meetings took place in the library complex on the ASU campus, with the ICJ sessions held in historic Wilson Hall. The conference committees were led by ASU Model UN organization Secretary-General Russell Page of Trumann, Treasurer Brandon Smith of Little Rock, and member Isaac Ong’oa of Kitale, Kenya, assisted by club Secretary Paida Sigauke of Harare, Zimbabwe, Mitch Kiefer of Paris, Ark., and Demetries Bolden of Pine Bluff.

Jenna Wells of Terre Haute, Indiana, ran the home government office during the conference.  Several other ASU students in a Model UN class took part as ambassadors:  Andrew Buchman of Paragould (Brazil), Jon Hardin of Marked Tree (USA), Donald Hunt of Blytheville (Canada), Benjamin Ross of Paragould (Ukraine), T.J. Scott of Lonoke (Germany), Mallory Taylor of Lake City (Ecuador), and Aaron Whitcomb of Little Rock (North Korea).  Two MUN club members also took part as ambassadors:  Asuka Morimoto of Tokyo, Japan (Pakistan), and Martin Okolik of Skopje, Macedonia (Venezuela).

Dr. Charles Hartwig directed the International Court of Justice sessions. Dr. Hartwig, Political Science, is the faculty advisor for the ASU Model UN organization. Contact him via e-mail at hartwigc@astate.edu, call him at (870) 972-3690, or view the ASU Model UN Web site at http://www2.astate.edu/a/chss/departments/political-sciences/model-united-nations-.dot.

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