Hunter College Hosts Model UN Sessions with High School Students Discussing Iraq, World Trade Organization and OPEC

Date: January 16, 2003
Contact: Marisa Osorio (marisa.osorio@hunter.cuny.edu)
Phone: (212) 650-3736; Cell: (646) 235-2391

High school students from New York City, the nation, Canada and India will be playing the roles of ambassadors, delegates and diplomats during the second annual Columbia Model United Nations Conference and Exposition (CMUNCE) at Hunter College Thursday, January 16 through Sunday, January 19, 2003.

The conference, which is sponsored by the United Nations Students Association of Hunter College and Columbia University Model United Nations Club, will feature Ambassador Luis Alfonso de Alba, representative of Mexico to the United Nations.  He will give the opening address to the conference participants on Thursday, January 16 at 6 p.m. in the Hunter College Assembly Hall, North Building, 69th Street between Park and Lexington Avenues.

The conference will include discussion of Iraq during the Security Council simulation and international security and economic crises through simulations of the World Trade Organization, OPEC, the Indian and Argentine cabinets and the White House Situation Room.

"Our philosophy is that students must first know how the world works before they can go on to become world leaders, whether it's in business, politics, science, or the arts," said William Lim, United Nations Students Association president and a Hunter senior.  "We are tapping into the diversity of New York City in order to create a microcosm of the world at large, and challenging students to come up with workable solutions to real problems using the format of the United Nations."

Model United Nations is the most popular form of collegiate and high school debate, in which students simulate United Nations committees such as the General Assembly and the Security Council and role-play as ambassadors.

The schedule for the weekend is:

Security Council sessions about Iraq:
Thursday, Jan. 16, 7:30 p.m. ö 10 p.m., Hunter College West Building, Room 623, entrance is on the southwest corner of 68th Street and Lexington Avenue.
Friday, Jan. 17, 1 p.m. ö 6 p.m., Hunter College West Building, Room 410.
Saturday, Jan. 18, 10 a.m. ö 6 p.m. (break between 1 p.m. to 2 p.m.) , Hunter College North Building, Room C103, entrance on 68th Street between Park and Lexington Avenues.
Sunday, Jan. 19, 9:30 a.m. ö 11:30 a.m., Hunter College North Building, Room C103.

World Trade Organization sessions:
Thursday, Jan. 16, 7:30 p.m. ö 10 p.m., Hunter College North Building, Room C002.
Friday, Jan. 17, 1 p.m. ö 6 p.m., Hunter College North Building, Room C002.
Saturday, Jan. 18, 10 a.m. ö 6 p.m., Hunter College North Building, Room C002.
Sunday, Jan. 19, 9:30 a.m. ö 11:30 a.m., Hunter College North Building, Room 1036.

White House Situation Room sessions:
Thursday, Jan. 16, 7:30 p.m. ö 10 p.m., Hunter College West Building, Room 1731.
Friday, Jan. 17, 1 p.m. ö 6 p.m., Hunter College West Building, Room 1731.
Saturday, Jan. 18, 10 a.m. ö 6 p.m., Hunter College West Building, Room 1731.
Sunday, Jan. 19, 9:30 a.m. ö 11: 30 a.m., Hunter College West Building, Room 1731.

"This is an excellent opportunity for high school students to familiarize themselves the rigors of high-stakes diplomacy," said Ken Sherrill, chairman of Hunter College's political science department.  "It's a good way for American students to understand that world politics is much more complex than what's presented on the evening news."

The United Nations Student Association (UNSA) is a student club at Hunter College, City University of New York.  Founded in 1999 to promote greater awareness of the United Nations and international politics in general, UNSA also publishes the Political Paradigm, a student edited journal of American and international politics.

Media interested in covering the event please contact Marisa Osorio, Hunter College Public Relations, (212) 650-3736 or William Lim, UN Student Association of Hunter College, (732) 306-1517 or wli0002@hunter.cuny.edu

About Hunter
With a highly diverse student population of more than 20,000, Hunter is the largest college in the City University of New York (CUNY) system and the first choice among all CUNY applicants. Founded in 1870, the College offers more than 170 undergraduate and graduate programs. Hunter is noted for its professional schools in education, health sciences, nursing and social work, as well as its excellence in the liberal arts. Heralded as the "Crown Jewel of CUNY" by The Princeton Review, Hunter College has a distinguished reputation for nurturing talented minority scientists and meeting the challenge of providing high-quality science education in the 21st century. The College also oversees the Hunter College Campus Schools serving gifted and talented students, preschool through grade 12. For more information about Hunter College, please visit our Web site at http://www.hunter.cuny.edu.

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