>> Stephen Ward UNC Charlotte's Model United Nations Program
provides participants an opportunity to research and debate global issues.
Participants gain a valuable perspective that carries over throughout their careers.
>> Cindy Combs It is an interactive learning experience.
It is a chance for students to gain a wide range of different kinds of skills, to draw
from a wide range of majors, students who might not ordinarily be able to interact together,
and giving them a chance to turn their ideas into policy propositions, which then they
can take to regional, national and international conferences to meet with other students who
have similar passions and interests, and to see if they can find ways to make some of
these ideas work.
>> Devin McRae This year, we had the first fall class.
There was an Intro into Model UN.
And so, I, in conjunction with Dr. Combs, was able to have a class structure, as opposed
to our typical club setting.
So, we taught them how to research, how to engage in public speaking, how to give motivational
speeches, how to caucus with others, and rules of procedure.
All conferences have some sort of different type of rules of procedure, and so we teach
all of these different aspects that they are going to actually use within the conference
setting.
>> Andy Morimoto So this year, we brought home 52 awards, which
is the most we've ever brought home in the school's history.
The first conference we participated in was in Atlanta, it is called “SERMUN”.
We brought upwards of 50 people and we did incredibly, incredibly well.
We participated in one other regional conference, and that was the Model Arab League in Spartanburg,
South Carolina.
Afterwards, we went to the Model Arab League in Washington, D.C.
In both of those conferences, we brought home two delegation awards and the majority of
our members brought home individual awards.
The latest conference we went to was in Vancouver, Canada, and we had our most successful conference
there, as well, where over a majority of our teammates brought home awards.
>> Kristina Drye I was selected as a freshman to go to Harvard
World Model United Nations Conference.
So, I got to travel, as a freshman, to Vancouver, Canada with so many of my friends, and Dr.
Combs, and it was such a great experience.
And not only the experience there, but Melissa and I came back with an award as well.
So, we won a delegate award at an international conference, and in my freshman year, knowing
that I'd been successful through a group that also provided friendship was the best thing
in the entire world.
>> Andy Morimoto My freshman year, we had a great, great experience
traveling to Haiti.
We had the opportunity to go and do some relief work after the earthquakes there.
And, that was kind of born out of the idea that we go to these conferences and we talk
about all these ideas, and theory, what they can do to improve the international community,
but then, a handful of us decided that we actually wanted to take the next step and
go out and be some of that change.
>> Matt Smither Our work in Haiti was varied.
We had both the service and the construction element.
Our construction aspect is we were putting in sustainable latrine usage for the orphanage.
Our service project had a lot to do with hygiene, public health and safety, and then also some
English skills, which a lot of the Haitians were eager to learn.
>> Devin McRae That was, by far, the most challenging time
of my life.
To go down there and to see the devastation, to see what these people were living through.
But it was also incredible because you got to meet these kids who had such a passion
to life, who love being alive, who had smiles on their faces all the time, but they were
living in such destitute situations that were just unbelievable.
To come together as a team and to really work together to do something for close to 100
orphans at that time, it was really life-altering.
To really get on the ground, and do something that we're always debating, in our suits,
in these conferences.
>> Matt Smither I remember one particular incident.
We were coming back from the work site and our car broke down on the side of the road.
We were kind of on the edge of a tent city, and I remember looking in and I saw a woman
inside her tent.
Now, mind you, the tent is nothing more than a piece of plastic, really, draped over two
sticks.
The only thing that she owned was a small pillow and a five gallon bucket.
She sat on the bucket, staring at us, as we walked through.
And I just remember thinking that it's individuals.
When we take these small steps and these small actions, however little they may be, these
are the things that add up and really make a difference in peoples' lives.
These people have nothing, and we were able to give them something.
And that something provided them hope, and that's what I think will restore it.
>> Cindy Combs It was hard because you could only make a
very tiny difference.
They were translating their ideas of the needs of poverty and devastation and refugees.
And they saw refugee camps where people were living in water up to their knees and had
no real hope of it getting better right away.
We were on the site by 6:30 or 7:00 in the morning and we worked until 8:00 or later
in the evening because they didn't want to stop.
It's coming back and knowing that you've only made a small difference; it's a reality check.
All of those resolutions about helping are really good, but translating that into actual
action is a serious challenge.
Out of that, you've got students who are now trying to go into security studies and conflict
resolution at the grad level to see if they can actually be a part of making the world
a better place.
>> Andy Morimoto Everything from public speaking, to my writing,
to my negotiation skills, everything just improves with this club.
But moreover, it just has really developed my interest in international affairs and what
I hope to do, post graduation.
>> Kristina Drye Every week, I have something Model United
Nations to do, so I'm constantly reinforcing the skills that I know I'm going to need later
in life.
And everything I do here is going to reflect somehow in the job that I eventually take
and the path that I eventually pursue.
>> Matt Smither It will allow student like myself who are
interested in master's programs to speak with former alums of the Model UN Program to see
what will be the best program of study for them.
It allows us to work through different organizations and internships.
Really, what the mentoring process is here at the Model UN at UNC Charlotte is a family
network.
We're able to connect, share ideas, share thoughts, share stories.
And, through that, we're really able to build a strong structure that's really unique on
campus.
>> Cindy Combs It has grown, and we now have students from
almost every college, literally every college, you're talking about nursing, we're all over
the place, a wide range of diverse students, more than 50 last year.
Four years ago, we were hitting about 20-some.
This year, we hit 51 in the fall.
It's a growing, exciting program, with all kinds of potential.
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