Students who participate in Model United Nations seek to find solutions to world problems through discussion, negotiation, and debate. Students learn more about the causes of world conflict while exploring the potential for international cooperation. Carley Baldwin shares her experience of participating in Model UN at UT:
“Model United Nations at UT has two primary functions: hosting a conference for high schoolers and traveling to other universities to compete. High schools from all over Tennessee stay in Knoxville for a weekend and participate in a simulation of the United Nations, with different committees tailored to different students’ interests. The conferences our travel team attends are a bit different, with more expansive committees such as Ronald Reagan’s Presidential Cabinet or Life After the Marvel Cinematic Universe Blip. We travel all over the eastern United States, attending conferences hosted by the University of Chicago, University of Florida, and George Washington University, among others. A 1-hour political science credit is available for active members. Debate, public speaking, and organizational skills are practiced and developed through scrimmages and meetings. You do not have to be familiar with Model UN to join. Anyone with any level of skill or knowledge is welcomed. We host weekly meetings on Thursday nights at 7:15 in the Student Union, usually in 169. We are always looking for new members, so don’t hesitate to show up and ask questions!”
By: Carley Baldwin