Six students from “West Virginia University”: will travel to the Netherlands this weekend to participate in The European International Model United Nations Conference.
Under this year’s theme “Pushing Boundaries: Pursuing a New State of Mind,” more than 200 of the brightest students from countries around the world will come together in The Hague, from July 11-17 to engage in discussions about the world’s most pressing issues and to develop as young leaders and global citizens. Student delegates will explore global solutions to the current refugee crisis, global warming and extremist terrorism, among other topics.
Students will have the opportunity to experience the decision-making processes of the United Nations, NATO, and the European Union through role playing, debates and intensive discussions. Participants will enhance their speaking and debating skills, while gaining a more thorough understanding of multilateral diplomacy in world affairs.
This is the seventh year that the dean of students in the WVU Division of Student Life partnered with the Department of Political Science , the international studies program in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences, and the John D. Rockefeller IV School of Policy and Politics to sponsor and chaperone student delegates. Dean of Students Corey Farris and Associate Professor in Political Science David M. Hauser will accompany the students.
“The TEIMUN conference is a great experience for our students in taking a step to becoming global citizens and leaders. Two core principles we want all WVU students to possess before they graduate,” said Farris.
The 2016 WVU delegation, all members of the Honors College, consists of Margaret Budik, sophomore international studies major minoring in Russian studies, French, linguistics and economics from Weirton, West Virginia; Lauren Griffin, a junior international studies and history major minoring in German, geography and religious studies from Franklin, TN; Clara Haizlett, sophomore international studies and Spanish major from Wellsburg, West Virginia; Emma Harrison, sophomore political science and multidisciplinary studies major from Morgantown; Lauren Headley, sophomore international studies major from Myersville, MD; and Samantha Teets, junior international studies major from Ashland, VA.
Two WVU students currently hold TEIMUN student leadership positions. Samantha Shimer, a 2014 student delegate, Honor’s College member, and junior international relations student, has been selected as the secretary-general and Erin Heater, a 2015 student delegate, Honor’s College member, and sophomore International relations students, has been selected as a member of the Human Rights Council. The student staff is responsible for the intellectual content of the conference, determining topics to be debated, and writing background papers for their respective councils, so that delegates can deepen their understanding of the topics to be discussed. During the conference, the student leaders will chair and supervise the debates in order to lead them towards fruitful resolutions.
One of the oldest MUN’s in Europe for university students, the first TEIMUN conference was held in 1987. In the first two years of WVU’s participation in the conference, the students from the University made up the only group that represented the United States in the entire assembly of 250 students.
Delegates were selected through an application process consisting of a short essay and resume. Preference was given to enrolled freshman and sophomore students with a 3.5 GPA or higher completing at least one college course with an international affairs focus and a satisfactory student conduct record.
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ta/7/6/16
CONTACT: Jason Broadwater, Student Life Communications and Marketing Jason.broadwater@mail.wvu.edu , 304.293.8863
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