Randolph Model UN students win awards in 2014 conference

Randolph College students won several honors at the National Model United Nations Conference last week.

Randolph’s Model UN team was named an Honorable Mention Delegation. Also, six Randolph students—including five who were participating in Model UN for their first time—won awards for position papers that they authored.

“All the awards reflect the hard work and diplomatic skills of the delegates and the utter dedication to excellence of our two head delegates,” said Jennifer Dugan, a Randolph global studies professor and the advisor for the Model UN team. “I am proud of our achievements this year.”

Randolph’s delegation to the Model UN this year represented the country of Malta. The delegation included 16 students, including head delegates Jacob Lusczek ’15 and Samantha Terry ’16.

Randolph’s position paper award winners include: Sarah Terlizzi ’15 and John Vecchiettie ’14, who served on the UN General Assembly Third Committee; Tsubasa Wantanabe ’14 and Erica Quinby ’17, who served on the UN Industrial Development Organization; and Rickie Scott ’17 and Sebastian Ranasinghe ’16, who served on the UN General Assembly Second Committee.

These awards add to an already impressive list of Model UN awards. The Randolph team regularly brings home awards for outstanding delegations and excellent position papers.

Student travel and participation in the Model U.N. program is made possible by the Sheldon and Chrystine Hicks Endowed Global Studies Fund through a generous gift from Marilyn Hicks Fitzgerald ’68 and Michael P. Fitzgerald.

Model UN team represents Malta at national conference

Students on Randolph College’s Model United Nations team will spend this week in New York, where they will represent Malta in the National Model United Nations Conference.

Model UN challenges students to learn about the history, public policy, and culture of another country and then represent that country in diplomatic simulations much like actual UN meetings. During the conference, students present speeches, negotiate with students representing diplomats from other countries, and vote on important international issues.

Members of the Randolph College Model UN team speak with Carl Girelli, vice president
for academic affairs and dean of the College, during a practice caucus session. More photos.

Months of researching, writing resolutions, and practicing speeches has prepared the students for a successful experience, said Jennifer Dugan,a Randolph College global studies professor who advises the Model UN team. “I expect great things from them and believe they will learn much about themselves and the world of diplomacy," she said.

For more than a decade, the College’s Model UN team has proven its ability to train students in the art of international diplomacy. The team has won numerous awards for having an outstanding delegation and position papers. The team has represented countries such as Portugal, Senegal, Yemen, and now Malta.

Randolph College President Bradley W. Bateman participates in a practice caucus
session with members of the College's Model United Nations team. More photos.

Malta is a small, democratic island country off the coast of Sicily. It has significant social programs, such as universal health care, and it serves as a gatekeeper for immigration from northern Africa into the European Union, said Dugan.

The Model UN team will meet with the UN’s deputy permanent representative from Malta during the conference, Dugan said.

This year’s Model UN team consists of 16 students, including Jacob Lusczek ’15 and Samantha Terry ’16, the head delegates. To meet the delegates and learn about how they have been preparing to represent Malta, read the Model UN Blog. The students also will update the blog during the conference.

“We are all so excited to get to the conference this year. After months of painstaking work, we are ready to put our knowledge to the test,” said Terry. “We have a diverse collection of knowledge and experience in our delegation this year, and I know they will be highly successful.”

Model U.N. team wins awards at national conference

Randolph College’s Model United Nations team brought home honors from the national conference in New York last week.

Tahan Menon ’16 and Sarah Terlizzi ’15 represent Portugal
on the Security Council during the Model U.N. Conference.

Sarah Terlizzi ’15 and Tahan Menon ’16 were named the best delegation to the Security Council at the conference, and Nabeel Mahmood ’15 and Penny Trieu ’15 received the award for the best position paper on the U.N. Conference on Trade and Development.

The honor surprised Menon, but it added a great finish to an already-great conference. “I didn't even really know there were awards until the last few days, so I wasn't thinking about it,” he said. “I thought it was going to be fun, but I didn't know we were going to win.”

The national conference allows students from about 400 colleges to role play as United Nations delegates from various countries. After spending months researching the culture, politics, and positions of their assigned country, they attend meetings, give speeches, and vote on actual issues facing the world.

Randolph’s students represented Portugal this year. Terlizzi said that it was hard to get attention as Portugal on the Security Council, but she and Menon managed to stay “in character,” representing the views that Portugal would take on the issues presented to them.

Jennifer Dugan, a political science professor who advises the Model U.N. team, said the Security Council dealt with difficult topics this year, but it did not surprise her that Terlizzi and Menon were named best delegates. “They were firm and creative diplomats who navigated tough issues and entrenched positions with great finesse,” she said.

Dugan said that Mahmood and Trieu earned their honor of best position paper by crafting a paper that communicated their knowledge and proposed solutions with clarity.

Trieu said that winning the award added a lot to her first experience at Model U.N. “It made me want to do it again.”

“This year’s team worked hard and pulled in the same direction during the entire conference,” Dugan said. “We had the right balance of veteran and first time delegates as well as exceptional leadership in our two head delegates; everyone helped each other.”

Menon said that Dugan was instrumental in the success students had at the conference. “She drilled us really well for that conference,” he said. “She deserves most of the credit or recognition.”

Student travel and participation in the Model U.N. program is made possible through a generous gift from Marilyn Hicks Fitzgerald ’68 and Michael P. Fitzgerald and through the support of the Gravely-Hampson Global Studies Fund.

Model U.N. students prepare to represent Portugal

Fifteen Randolph students are prepared to represent Portugal in the National Model United Nations Conference next week. They will give speeches, advocate for Portugal’s interests, and make decisions with students from around the world in five days of sessions that test students’ skills in diplomacy and their knowledge of global issues.

Randolph is one of about 400 colleges with a Model United Nations team. Throughout this semester, the Randolph delegates have explored how

Meet the Delegates

Randolph’s Model U.N. delegates are introducing themselves and documenting their participation in the conference on the Model U.N. blog. Check it out!

Portugal would position itself on issues such as renewable energy, empowering women, and food security. Preparing for Model U.N. makes it a unique classroom experience.

“It doesn’t even feel like a class,” said Jacob Lusczek ’14, one of the head delegates from Randolph. “It feels like you’re getting together with a group of friends to talk about issues.”

Students participate in Model U.N. for a variety of reasons. Lusczeck, for example, applied for the program after he enjoyed, and performed well in, a mock summit in his world politics class.

Sara Terlizzi ’15 got involved because of her growing interest in international law. “This is an opportunity to learn about the law firsthand and see how it is implemented,” she said.

Students have been assigned to various committees where they research specific topics that those committees will address during the national conference in New York. Terlizzi, who will represent Portugal on the Model U.N. Security Council, said this immersion has really put her in the mindset of the country. When she hears about world events in the news she automatically begins processing how people in Portugal would view the event.

On Tuesday, the student ambassadors tested their preparation with Randolph professors and staff members who played the role of foreign ambassadors and asked them to explain and defend their positions on the issues. On Saturday, they fly to New York to face similar questions from other students who also have spent the entire semester preparing. On Sunday they will attend a reception at the home of Kathy Brown ‘76.

“It’s time consuming, but the time that you put into it is very rewarding,” said Lusczek.

“It’s an experience that you won’t get with anything else,” said Terlizzi.

Student travel and participation in the Model UN program is made possible through a generous gift from Marilyn Hicks Fitzgerald ’68 and Michael P. Fitzgerald and through support of the Gravely-Hampson Global Studies Fund.

Student wins awards at fast-paced international affairs conference

Over fall break, Youssef Elkei ’13 exiled a government leader, convinced a nation’s cabinet not to start a war, and was assassinated—all as a part of a government simulation at a foreign affairs conference.

Elkei represented Randolph College in the Cornell International Affairs Conference (CIAC). He served as minister of justice in a mock Egyptian cabinet during a time of emergency. The cabinet members debated issues, gave speeches, and made decisions. Then they learned about the results of those decisions and acted again.

Youssef Alkei pauses for a picture with Aishani Bansal, director-general
of the organizers of the Cornell International Affairs Conference. (Photo
courtesy of CIAC photographer Lindsay Levine.)

The event had a much faster pace than other foreign affairs conferences Elkei has attended. “You use every ounce of negotiation skills that you have. You debate, you introduce amendments. It’s fast paced, more intense, and the speeches are impromptu,” he said. “If you’re not ready and you’re not engaged, you’ll miss out.”

Elkei, a global studies major, previously attended college in Cairo, Egypt, and Washington, D.C. Because he plans to graduate after the fall 2012 semester, he recognized that he would not be able to participate in Model United Nations a third time next spring. He decided to attend the CIAC to give him another chance to practice diplomatic skills.

Randolph’s Innovative Student Experience, a program that allows juniors and seniors to apply for financial support of research, creative works, and other projects related to their studies, provided the funds for Elkei’s participation.

In the crisis simulation assigned to Elkei’s committee, a group had stolen weapons from a military chemical factory. The committee debated and voted on how to respond to each development in the situation.

The panel had to make difficult decisions, such as whether to authorize enhanced interrogation tactics. Elkei voted in favor. “I thought it would help us find the perpetrators,” he said. “But as a result, one of the people being questioned died.”

Another difficult decision was whether to start a war with Israel, which, according to the simulation, had been building up its forces in what seemed like an effort to attack Egypt. The committee members debated whether to make a preemptive strike. Elkei was the last to speak, at which point only one had voted against attack.

Elkei gave a passionate speech opposing the strike. “I knew that if we went to war, we would lose,” he said. “Internationally, we would be seen as the aggressors, and we would lose militarily.” He drew upon the principles of Just War Theory, which he recalled from a class taught by Randolph professor Jennifer Dugan, to make his case. When the committee took a final vote, several people had changed their positions and voted against the strike.

Later in the simulation, Elkei was shot with a Nerf gun after a government leader he had voted to exile earlier escaped and sought revenge. He left the room and was given another role in the simulation.

Elkei’s speech against a preemptive strike was voted as the best speech in that committee. He also received an award for being one of the best delegates.

The conference allowed Elkei the chance to prove and strengthen the skills he learned at Randolph. He hopes to apply those skills and work in diplomacy or international intelligence. He believes his liberal arts education and the commitment to the honor code will serve him well. “In a liberal arts education like this, you’re more well-rounded,” he said. “I’m not coming to higher education expecting to learn how to write reports for a specific job. I’m learning how to research something, how to give a speech. These skills are the foundation which you base the rest of your professional career on.”

Global community center will enhance intercultural experience

Thanks to a generous gift from an alumna and her husband, Randolph College students have a new place to gather and share experiences and perspectives across cultural lines.

On Wednesday the College dedicated the Fitzgerald Global Community Center, a lounge in Bell Hall that is set aside for multicultural activities and discussions. It is situated near the newly designated intercultural floor of Bell Hall, where several students have chosen to live in an environment focused on intercultural connections.

Zara Sibtain ’13, Mike Fitzgerald, Susan Klein, President John E. Klein, Marilyn Fitzgerald ’68,
Carl Girelli, and Jennifer Dugan cut a ribbon to open the Fitzgerald Global Community Center.

The center was made possible by a donation from Marilyn Hicks Fitzgerald ’68 and her husband, Mike, who have been avid supporters of the College’s global studies program for years.

“It’s exciting to join together today to celebrate their latest gift to the college,” President John E. Klein said in the dedication ceremony Thursday. “This center is both a social and an academic resource, and it blends well into Randolph’s Quality Enhancement Plan, ‘Bridges Not Walls.’”

Terry Bodine, assistant dean of students and director of residence life, said that the center contributes to the College’s goal of helping students immerse themselves in a global experience. “Students at Randolph College are strongly encouraged to study abroad,” she said. “However, not every student can study overseas. For those who cannot, Randolph College works intentionally to create opportunities for intercultural exchange right here on campus.”

Marilyn Fitzgerald ’68 visits with Jim Kwon ’14, a student from Korea, in Cheatham
Dining Hall before the dedication of the Fitzgerald Global Community Center.

Jennifer Dugan, a political science professor and head of the College’s Model United Nations program, said the center will provide a place to hold meetings to discuss international issues that come up throughout the year, including lunch hour meetings when international events and questions provoke discussions. “In the international arena, we can’t anticipate what issues, or challenges, crises, or even peace may break out. It’s very nice to know that we can have this environment open to us and be flexible in the ways we come together,” she said.

Marilyn Fitzgerald talked about how living overseas, including a study abroad experiences in college, helped her and her husband develop an appreciation for the world’s many cultures. “When we met each other later in our 20s, our common bond was the fact that we had both studied abroad,” she said.

They developed a passion for helping students to increase their global awareness. Ten years ago, the Fitzgeralds created the Sheldon and Chrystine Hicks Endowed Global Studies Fund. Named in honor of Marilyn’s late parents, the fund makes it possible for Randolph students to travel to the National Model United Nations conference each year.

“We love the new center,” said Marilyn Fitzgerald. “It just makes me want to be a student again.”

Model U.N. and Carnegie Hall: Two groups of students in New York this week (with video)

From global policies to Mozart music, two groups of Randolph College students are making their mark in New York this week.

Randolph’s Model United Nations team is representing the Republic of Yemen in the National Model United Nations Conference. Meanwhile, Chorale, a student singing group,will perform in Carnegie Hall on Sunday.

Watch this video to hear Jennifer Dugan, a political science professor, explain what it is like to prepare to represent a volatile foreign government.

Model U.N. is a tradition at the College. Each year, students delve into the culture, history, and politics of the country they are assigned to represent. They attend the national conference to discuss policies and make proposals based on the needs and views of the country they represent. Randolph students often bring awards home with them recognizing them for their outstanding preparation.

Kira Chhatwal ’12 is serving as the head delegate from the Randolph team this year. You can track updates from the team by reading their Model U.N. blog.

On Friday, an alumna in New York is hosting a reception for the Model U.N. students.

Although the Randolph College Chorale has toured frequently, performing in Carnegie Hall is a new experience. Randall Speer, a music professor and conductor of Chorale, caught the attention of MidAmerica Productions more than a year ago, and the company invited him to conduct a choir in a festival concert in Carnegie Hall.

Randolph students are excited about their Carnegie Hall debut. Watch this video to listen to them practice.

Speer invited the Chorale students to come with him so they could experience the thrill of performing in such an impressive venue.

Over the next few days, they will hold rehearsals with an orchestra, professional soloists, and another choir that is joining them for the concert. On Sunday, they will take the stage to perform Mozart’s Solemn Vespers.

Then they will bring that music back to Lynchburg, performing the Mozart piece and Randall Thompson’s The Place of the Blest in a concert with the Lynchburg Symphony Orchestra at 7:30 p.m. on April 15 in Houston Memorial Chapel.