MUN competes in Boston
Harvard-based event draws 2,500 students, including 15 from TU, to simulated UN activities
Emily Faber
Issue date: 2/20/09 Section: News
To represent the two countries, Stepanenko explained that MUN members at the conference divided into committees that ranged from one to three students in size each. Committees included the Legal, Social Humanitarian and Culture and Disarmament and Security committees. The 12 Trinity students who represented the Republic of Congo worked alongside students from the French university L'Institut d'Etudes Politiques de Lille, and the three representing Sudan worked with the Richard Ivey School of Business and the University of Western Ontario, both from Canada, and Williams College, from Massachusetts.
"You pretty much went into the conference knowing you had to get over whatever awkwardness you had if you wanted to get something done," said First Year Stephanie Roach. "Most people knew that and worked accordingly. It got a lot easier as the conference went on."
According to Stepanenko, Trinity was one of only three Texas universities attending the conference, the other two being St. Thomas University and Rice University, both based in Houston. Stepanenko added that MUN wouldn't have been able to go to Harvard if it hadn't been for MUN's sponsors, which included faculty members such as Vice President of Student Affairs Felicia Lee, Chair of the International Studies Department Robert Huesca, Chair of the Department of History David Lesch, Chair of the Religion Department Randall Nadeau, and Professors Mary Ann Tetreault, John Huston, and Stephen Field.
MUN's active role representing Trinity this year stands in contrast previous years. According to Benke, there was no MUN her first year here, and last year they essentially lacked an advisor, and the students had to do everything themselves. Roach added that last semester, only two students really had experience with MUN, and even this semester, most of the students were still largely inexperienced.
"It's still really student-led, but the good thing about this year is Inessa has been able to pick up the technical stuff. It's kind of nice, me and the other students don't have to worry where the money is coming from, whether it's going into the right accounts. We can focus on the actual MUN stuff now."
"You pretty much went into the conference knowing you had to get over whatever awkwardness you had if you wanted to get something done," said First Year Stephanie Roach. "Most people knew that and worked accordingly. It got a lot easier as the conference went on."
According to Stepanenko, Trinity was one of only three Texas universities attending the conference, the other two being St. Thomas University and Rice University, both based in Houston. Stepanenko added that MUN wouldn't have been able to go to Harvard if it hadn't been for MUN's sponsors, which included faculty members such as Vice President of Student Affairs Felicia Lee, Chair of the International Studies Department Robert Huesca, Chair of the Department of History David Lesch, Chair of the Religion Department Randall Nadeau, and Professors Mary Ann Tetreault, John Huston, and Stephen Field.
MUN's active role representing Trinity this year stands in contrast previous years. According to Benke, there was no MUN her first year here, and last year they essentially lacked an advisor, and the students had to do everything themselves. Roach added that last semester, only two students really had experience with MUN, and even this semester, most of the students were still largely inexperienced.
"It's still really student-led, but the good thing about this year is Inessa has been able to pick up the technical stuff. It's kind of nice, me and the other students don't have to worry where the money is coming from, whether it's going into the right accounts. We can focus on the actual MUN stuff now."
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