Fourteen students participated in Harvard World Model United Nations (MUN) Conference, which was held in Vancouver, Canada, March 11-15. The experience was part of a 2 credit course, International MUN, led by Dr. Angela Kachuyevski, Assistant Professor, and Dr. Bob Thompson, Associate Professor, of Historical and Political Studies. This year, Arcadia’s MUN delegation represented the European Union (EU). Additionally, Matt Dalrymple, Arcadia’s Head Delegate, represented a member of INTERPOL, and Alex Hayden represented the International Peace Bureau, a non-governmental organization.

More than 2,000 students from over 100 countries and universities participate in the Harvard World Model United Nations annually, giving participants the opportunity to network and build friendships across many miles and borders.

“This annual conference sticks different people, from different backgrounds, and different opinions into one committee room and leaves them to debate and challenges them to resolve an idea or topic that might not have been resolved before,” says Mellanie Rhae Tanada ’12, an International Studies major and Chinese minor. “It’s really interesting to see how quickly you can network and make new friends, but also develop ideas and viewpoints that are different than your own.”

In addition to the scholarly activities, students participated in several social events including themed dances, dinners, as well as a tour of Whistler, which was home to the 2010 Winter Olympics.

The following students represented the EU: Anna Chirapongse, Charlit Daecharkhom, Stephen Hesson, Ariel Ianovale, Hope Kwiatkowski, Victoria LeMay, Paula Marsala, Shaun McQuade, Nicholas Paul, Mellanie Rhae Tanada, and Patrick Wajda.