Looking Back....

With all the excitement of sharing my Model UN stories with friends and turning in my final assignments for professors, I almost forgot to post my experience on this blog! So here goes:

Awesome, Awesome, Awesome! I had such a wonderful experience and I'm glad I had the opportunity to participate in this year's conference (Thank you, Dr. Jones!). Being able to discuss tough issues like humanitarian aid and economic policies with students from all over the world was great. Not only did I get to practice my negotiation skills, I also learned the true meaning of diplomacy.

Participating in the Model UN encouraged me to learn more about international relations, engage in problem solving with other countries, and exercise my communication skills. This experience has also taught me the importance of seeing situations from other points of view. It was interesting to see how every country saw the same situation, but crafted different solutions and offered different perspectives. For example, our entire body agreed that it was essential to address the economic inequalities women faced when entering the job market, but we all had different ways to approach it. When everyone negotiated and debated, we were able to work together in solving this imperative issue (if only Congress could work this well together).

When we were talking about our experiences, Laniesha Gray made a really good point about our experiences: It's one thing to learn about the four C's, but it's another to actually practice them. I can honestly say, that's what we all did at this conference. I was so proud of everyone stepping up to the plate and representing Columbia College to their fullest potential. We acted as agents of change to work towards a world of peace and prosperity (as cliche as that sounds). I felt a sense of personal responsibility to do what's best for not only the country of Italy, but also for the world...(okay, that's my last cliche).

I think Dr. Whitson said it best: "A leader is not a leader because of the position she holds, but the difference she makes." After judging from the resolutions we tirelessly worked to pass through, I can honestly say that we all made a difference in our "mock global society."

So, thank you Dr. Whitson, Dr. Burk, Dr. Sharkey and all those who showed us support in our endeavors!


Finally a CC Alum,
~Ophelia