More than Conferences: A Deeper Look into ODU’s Model UN program
By Andrew Bates
Model United Nations at Old Dominion University is looking to reach new heights.
The organization, which is ODU's reigning program of the year, will soon host MonarchMUN, one of six intercollegiate Model UN conferences the school competes in each year. The late November conference is unique however, as it will be the first competitive Model UN conference hosted by Old Dominion University in almost 20 years. The event, which is planned and prepped for from May of the previous year is the university's signature four-day function in which high schoolers research, vote and debate while representing their assigned countries on various world issues. ODU's Model UN team will administer and moderate the discussions.
ODU's Model UN program will be hosting MonarchMUN from Nov. 22-24, and will facilitate ODUMUNC in Feb. 13-16, 2020 at the Riverside Sheraton Hotel in Norfolk.
Though the conferences ODU competes in comprise much of the group's focus, they are involved in other activities. Efficient officer and general member meetings, along with thorough training sessions are key to success within the program. The planning of functions on and off-campus are done constantly, and mostly done by members of Model UN themselves.
Aaron Karp, the program's director for the last ten years, values the diligent work and time commitment made by the officers of Model UN.
"Helen (Sharpe, President of ODU's Model UN Society) puts in at least an hour a day for Model UN, and it's usually much, much more," Karp said.
These responsibilities can range from preparing emotionally-riveting speeches for debates to proctoring the passion-filled officer meetings. Many of the other officers, or secretariat also commit similar levels of time and energy towards the program.
Karp, who is a senior lecturer in political science, also recognizes the program's assistant director, Kathleen Egan, for her work in helping to oversee the management of the program and its efforts. "Without our assistant director, the day to day operations would be impossible," he said. Karp, who first got involved with Model UN himself as a student at Drury College in Springfield, Missouri, has also worked for the official United Nations in New York.
Though many aspects of Model UN have remained constant since Karp took over as director in 2009, one of its few differences stands out above all others.
"The decision to host a college conference has been the biggest change," Karp states. While early on in his time with the program hosting a conference seemed unthinkable due to budgetary constraints, today the program is looking to set the bar even higher. Non-officer members of Model UN are also kept heavily involved, with events such as Model UN Day in early October being meant to help the less experienced members get more comfortable with debating. Ensuring that the next generation of Model UN leaders are ready is of upmost importance to all members of the esteemed ODU society. All members are sure to be kept primed for competition however, as evidenced by ODU's delegation recently winning multiple awards at the University of Pennsylvania's Model United Nations Conference (UPMUNC) that ran from Oct. 31 to Nov. 3.
As of early November, more than 500 high school students from schools in the surrounding Norfolk area have already registered for the program's February event, the ODU Model United Nations Conference (ODUMUNC).
For more information on all things Model UN at Old Dominion University, you can visit the organization's website here: https://www.odu.edu/al/centers/modelun
Andrew Bates is a junior communications major from Woodbridge, VA. This story was written as part of a public relations writing class to give students real-world experience in interviewing, writing and publishing news releases.