School of Arts and Sciences Review Winter 2014 | Page 19

The Art of Persuasion A Closer Look SBU Model UN group scores six awards at conference By Julia Andretta, ’15 order to debate with representatives of other countries within their respective he SBU Model United Nacommittees. tions organization, under “So, for example, if your the leadership of Dr. Ibrahim country is Timor-Leste and Zabad, assistant professor of your committee is Migrapolitical science, attended the 2012 tion, you would debate Lake Erie International Model United topics having to do with Nations (LEIMUN) conference. The every aspect of migration, SBU group competed against nine such as human trafficking other schools, receiving not only the in your country,” said Small Delegation Award, but also five Chojnacki. Excellent Delegate awards. In attenStudents are called upon dance (listed with the country they to do an immense amount represented and the committee they of research; they must served on) were: know enough about the • Kathryn Moore (Head Delegate), country they have been ’15, an international studies chosen to represent and major from Castleton, N.Y., repthe committee they have resenting Denmark on the Eurobeen placed on to be able pean Council to debate intelligently and • Miguel Nesbitt, ’15, a journaleffectively about a vast School of Arts and Sciences Dean Dr. Wolfgang Natter ism and mass communication (left) and Dr. Ibrahim Zabad are pictured with a trophy array of topics within that major from Plattsburgh, N.Y., earned by the university’s Model UN team. committee. representing Togo on the Secu“We wrote position parity Council pers … we even made PowerPoint presentations about cer• Matthew Edwards, ’13, an engineering physics major tain topics,” Chojnacki said. from Bolivar, N.Y., representing Timor-Leste in the Inter“It’s good to have such highly motivated students,” said national Organization for Migration Zabad. “Good inspiration and good research — each of those • Leanna Chojnacki, ’13, a political science and international studies double major from Eden, N.Y., representing things delivers positive results. Motivation, preparation, research and practice, as well.” Timor-Leste in the International Organization for MigraA scrimmage at Mercyhurst College in Erie, Pa., helped to tion test their motivation and their preparation. • Paul Leonardo, ’14, a political science and Spanish double “They went there major from New York, N.Y., representing Jamaica on the and they observed Historical Security Council Visit us online: others and then they • Lauren Loftin, ’14, a political science major from Springwww.sbu.edu/ModelUN wrote an essay on field Gardens, N.Y., representing the Philippines in the what they did in the Commission on Sustainable Development conference and what the others did, and why the others • Erika Fleischman, ’15, a political science and history douwon, and what they could do to win the next time. That projble major from Atlanta, N.Y., representing the Russian ect helped a lot,” Zabad said. Federation in the Mystery Security Council “I think the learning experience of going to that scrimmage • Ashley Oliver, ’12, a political science major from and realizing that if you get involved and you prepare well Marienville, Pa., representing the Russian Federation in you will start to enjoy yourself and it will start to become natthe Mystery Security Council ural was what really pushed me,” said Nesbitt. “When I went Prior to conferences of this kind, each student in a Model UN group is assigned a country to represent and a committee to LEIMUN it was kind of awkward at first, but once I got settled in I knew what I was talking about and I was well prein which to do so; the students then prepare information in T >> Continued 19