NDSU’s Model United Nations Club had an outstanding showing at the spring Arrowhead Model United Nations Conference April 3-6 at the University of Wisconsin River Falls in River Falls, Wis. The delegation of six NDSU students won three individual awards.
NDSU environmental and conservation sciences graduate student Girish Uprety, from Kathmandu, Nepal, was recognized as Best Delegate, the highest honor given to a participant. Juniors Manuela Lopera, an electrical engineering major from Medellin, Colombia, and Josh Francis, a journalism and management communication major from Costa Mesa, Calif., received Best Delegate-Honorable Mention awards.
During the conference, delegates from schools across the Midwest work in committees to develop resolutions to solve world problems and address concerns that are raised in the real United Nations. Students represent different countries and debate from the standpoint of their assigned nation, rather than their personal views.
Uprety represented France in the U.N. Environmental Committee. Topics discussed included carbon emissions, alternative energy and desertification.
Lopera worked in the conference’s Social, Humanitarian and Culture Committee, representing India. Along with other delegates, she worked on resolutions about using drones to prevent human trafficking, women’s education and agriculture development in Zimbabwe.
Francis represented India on the conference’s Human Rights Council. Topics included the use of drones as weapons, human trafficking in Southeast Asia and the Syrian refugee crisis.
“These are the most awards we’ve ever won at a conference. It’s very exciting because we are only a club,” said Lopera, NDSU Model U.N.’s president. “Many other schools represented at the conference have classes and resources devoted to preparing for these conferences.”
The club participates in the conference through funding from membership dues and NDSU Student Government. The club plans to also attend a conference in Chicago during the fall. NDSU’s Model U.N. Club was founded in 2009.
For additional information on the conference or how to join the club, contact Lopera at manuela.lopera@my.ndsu.edu.
NDSU is recognized as one of the nation's top 108 public and private universities by the Carnegie Commission on Higher Education.