by Anna Hampton
Daily Lobo
High school students gathered at UNM from Thursday to Saturday to try to solve the world's problems.
The topics included Darfur, North Korea and climate change.
UNM's Model U.N. team hosted the conference to give them a realistic view of the U.N.'s procedures.
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The conference raised the University's profile as a school that pursues international education, said student Justine Eldridge, president of the World Affairs Delegation, UNM's Model U.N. team.
Sixty-five students from seven New Mexico high schools attended the
conference.
The conference consisted of four committees and two topics. Four members of the delegation served as chairs for each of the committees.
UNM student Mialynette Victoriazza, a member of Model U.N., said the conference followed parliamentary procedures, which students need to master to be successful diplomats.
"There's rules that you have to play by," she said. "We try to keep as close to the U.N. rules as possible. If you know the rules, you know the game, and if you know the game, you can manipulate it."
Ashley Pino, a student from La Cueva High School, said the conference reflected the U.N.'s process more accurately than others she has attended.
"The parliamentary procedure was more enforced," she said. "It was more efficient, and there was more time spent on debate."
Participants in Model U.N. act as representatives from different countries.
The committees were smaller than other conferences, which promoted participation by the high school students, Victoriazza said.
"They got a lot more individualized attention," she said. "I took time out to coach each one."
Pino said she was comfortable with the size of the committees, which had seven students in the Security Council and about 20 in the General Assembly.
"I really liked the smaller formation," Pino said. "I didn't feel as intimidated."
Victoriazza said the conference helped the World Affairs Delegation prepare for the 2007 Harvard World Model U.N. conference in Switzerland at the end of March.
She said hosting the conference made the delegation more familiar with the rules.
"It gave me confidence," she said. "There's a big thing to be said about confidence."
Jay Reidy, a member of the delegation, said high school students benefited because they saw the world from another perspective.
"Things like Model U.N. remind you that you have responsibility for people suffering," he said.
Eldridge said it will help the members of her team become better delegates.
"Now we understand the importance of research," she said. "We'll be a lot more open-minded and understanding."
Ultimately, the conference was for recruiting leaders, Victoriazza said.
"New Mexico has a lot of intelligent youth, but I don't know if they are necessarily given the opportunity to debate," she said. "For me, this is about creating an opportunity for others to become global leaders."
