Six South Model United Nations (UN) members, along with the advisors, went to NY to observe the National Model UN Collegiate Conference April 5.

Dr. Derick Hulme, Alma College’s Political Science Department chair and Model UN advisor, presented this opportunity to the club after watching them compete in a conference in the fall. Hulme later visited South’s Model UN team and offered to pay for the expenses to bring six South Model UN members and two advisors to view the conference.

“It just seemed like Glenbrook had an extraordinarily talented and passionate group of students and I thought that they might benefit from having a chance to come to the largest and most prestigious collegiate Model UN conf in the world [to] have a chance to see how it all worked,” Hulme said.

According to Hulme, Alma is the top collegiate Model UN team in the nation and has won the first place award at the national conference for 16 years. Senior Becky Glover, South’s Model UN president, said watching the Alma team’s teamwork and organization will help South in future conferences.

“The whole purpose of us going to this conference […] was definitely to bring home some information to share with our delegates and our students here at Glenbrook South and how to make them even stronger and better,” Glover said. “It’s not so much we want to see them crush it and win [at future competitions], but we want to see them become more educated and more well rounded. These are kids who are really inspired and really have an interest in international relations or at least current events, whether or not it’s a hobby or a lifetime passion, and we want to see these kids do well and so were hoping to make them emulates of the Alma team.”

Terry Jozwik, South’s Model UN advisor, said his team benefitted not only from watching the conference, which included over 5000 students from 36 countries, but also from interacting with the Alma students.

“I hope they’re inspired to join a Model UN program if one exists at their college or in the least find programs out there that get them experience in traveling to different countries and helping to solve complex world problems,” Jozwik said. “And I think they’re going to do it. To me the most important thing is not winning in conference […], but I think feedback, an email I get from somebody three years from now that tells me what extraordinary thing they’re doing .”

Hulme said that his team enjoyed learning about Model UN at a high school level from the South students and hopes to develop a ‘sister’ relationship between the Alma and South teams. According to Hulme, his team had an extra incentive to do well knowing that the South students were watching.

“My students had really been looking forward to having a chance to meet with [the South] students […],” Hulme said. “It’s always nice to have bright and talented and passionate students of whatever age talking about issues that matter to them so I thought my students benefited as well from having a chance to interact with the Glenbrook students.”

According to Jozwik, regardless of whether or not his students join Model UN in college, they could be inspired by Alma’s dedicated team and all the college students who care about complex world issues.

“They didn’t see anyone going to the conference just to have fun in a great world city, New York, they all were being very earnest about trying to make a difference in the world and seeing 5000 people, all different nationalities, all different colors of skin, […] all these wonderful young people between ages 18 to 22, really caring about making a difference in the world was inspirational,” Jozwik said.

The South students also had a chance to attend the conference’s closing ceremony, held in the actual United Nations building. According to Luke Baeckelandt, South Model UN board member, it was an incredible opportunity to be allowed on the ground floor and feel connected to history.

“Feeling like I’m stepping into someplace great […] made [me] feel really appreciative of the fact [I] was there,” Baeckelandt said. “We took a picture in front of the podium at the United Nations and that’s the same podium that all these world leaders, every single president from Harry Truman to Obama have spoken at […] and we were three feet away from it. It’s really just amazing how all this stuff is preserved and it’s still there.”

Hulme believes that the success of a Model UN team relies on the passion and dedication of students and advisors.

“[South] obviously has very talented and passionate students and so I think that is the heart of a good Model UN program,” Hulme said. “And [advisors] Terry Jozwik and John Sullivan are fantastic. I absolutely love them and they are clearly completely devoted to their students. I think those are the two key pieces you need for a Model UN program so I can’t imagine that Glenbrook South will do anything but move forward and become a truly great program.”