Cal Poly Model U.N. Team Represents CLA at State and National Conferences

Members of the Cal Poly Model U.N. Team meeting with the U.N. mission to Peru.

Cal Poly’s Model United Nations team participated at the UC Berkeley Model U.N. Conference March 6-9 and traveled to New York for the National Model U.N. Conference April 13-17.

The Model U.N. program at Cal Poly, led by political science Professor Craig Arceneaux, strives to teach students how one of the world’s largest organizations operates by having students participate in mock conferences.

“The most unique contribution the Model U.N. has to offer is empathy, because students have to simulate and promote positions from other countries,” Arceneaux said.

These mock conferences embody the complexity and thoroughness of the real U.N., with long periods of deliberation, resolution drafting, and interaction with students from other countries.

To be successful on the Model U.N. team, students are required to become familiar with the background, history, institutions and responsibilities of the United Nations.

Additionally, for each conference attended, students are asked to represent a country other than the United States, and they must be familiar enough with that country to effectively represent its political positions.

The New York conference offered students the unique opportunity to meet with actual U.N. delegates of the countries their teams were representing. This year the Cal Poly team met with delegates from Peru.

“It’s a fun learning experience, and it’s a whirlwind trying to accomplish everything during the conference,” said Katelyn Magnus, political science major and first-year Model U.N. participant. “And it’s great to have the opportunity to look back and see all that you were able to accomplish.”

Magnus and Katie Hoselton, political science major and third-year Model U.N. participant said that being part of the Model U.N. team helps students develop skills transferable to their academic work.

“The team helps you with professional and public speaking skills. Because the situation is constantly changing in the committees, you have to be prepared for the changes that come along and change with it,” Magnus said.

Students interested in becoming involved with Model U.N. are required to take POLS 285, Model United Nations, a four-unit course that introduces the structure and function of the United Nations and committee simulations. Every Model U.N. team member must also take POLS 385, Advanced Model United Nations, a two-unit course that focuses entirely on conference preparation.

Throughout their time with the Model U.N. team, students learn to become comfortable with opposing opinions, different cultures, and functioning within this environment. The team helps students build connections and develop a vision that prioritizes community.

“The whole point of Model U.N. is to reach consensus and develop team building,” Hoselton said. “There are no winners or losers; it’s about trying to bridge and embrace our differences.”