Getting involved in the international community seems like a difficult task for students living hours away from even the nearest big U.S. city. But this fall, dozens of Whitman students are connecting to the world scene by participating in the College’s newly formed Model United Nations Club.
The goal of Model United Nations is to simulate the General Assembly and each of the U.N.’s other multilateral bodies, helping students gain an in-depth understanding of current issues faced by U.N. member states. In multiple conferences throughout the year, student delegates are challenged to step into ambassadorial roles and negotiate the difficult world of international politics by making speeches, debating issues with allies and opponents and cooperating to resolve conflicts between world nations.
A previous Model United Nations Club existed on Whitman’s campus a number of years ago, but the group died out after the founders graduated. Sensing a revived interest in the organization, sophomore Derek Thurber filled out the paperwork last year to reform the club, which officially launched in October. Now Secretary-general of the club, Thurber holds meetings every Wednesday night at 7 p.m. in Reid.
“I sensed there was a lot of interest in [Model United Nations] at Whitman from talking to people,” said Thurber. “I wanted it to be a place for international discussion and for people on campus to get to see more of international events.”
Last weekend, Whitman’s Model United Nations club attended its first conference since its inception. During a three-day conference held at the University of Washington, six Whitman students represented the interests of Germany and Bosnia and Herzegovina, discussing everything from human rights and the environment to national security and economic development.
First-year Kie Watanabe earned the “Outstanding Delegate” award for her work representing Germany on the Human Rights Council, an honor bestowed to only one person in the group of over 20 delegates.
In preparation for the conference, Whitman’s student delegates spent numerable hours researching their countries’ history, geography, culture and economy; they meticulously reviewed voting records, speeches and embassy statements in order to accurately voice their countries’ opinions on key issues.
According to Thurber, this painstaking learning process is one of the most challenging aspects of the club because it requires participants to suspend their natural beliefs and world views.
“One of the most challenging things about participating in these conferences is stepping outside of your normal perspective,” said Thurber. “It’s one of the most rewarding things about going to these conferences. When you’re researching, you form your own opinions about how things should be, especially when looking at countries that are radically different from the U.S. Sometimes you have to go against some of your most basic tenets of life in order to represent countries accurately.”
Next Spring the club will attend another conference in San Francisco, and Thurber hopes that it will able to add more and more events to its roster every year. Sponsored in part by the Associated Students of Whitman College, the club is holding a fundraiser Sunday, Feb. 8 to cover travel expenses. The event, which will take on the form of an international banquet, will also feature a prominent speaker from the international community.
“I like being able to feel like I’ve given something back to Whitman,” said Thurber. “It’s really rewarding to plan this big event that we’re hosting for the whole campus that will bring in a pretty prominent speaker. The club is about becoming more a part of the Whitman community and making sure that everybody appreciates how Whitman is involved in the international community as well.”
