Courtney Bailey, Staff Writer

On Thursday, Sep. 3, Wingate University’s Model United Nations Club held its second interest meeting since its formation as an official campus organization in 2014. With the club’s one-year anniversary approaching and its membership beginning to grow, WUMUN members felt the need to clearly inform Wingate students about what exactly Model United Nations is and why it is important to the university.

“I was always interested in Model UN and the areas it has influence in, including human rights and promoting democracy,” WUMUN founder and president, Leyli Garryyeva, explained as she spoke of her desire to bring Model UN to Wingate. “Wingate invests in W’International and other study abroad programs to expand students’ minds, and Model UN gives them an opportunity to do that without traveling outside of the country.”

As students snacked on pizza and Pepsi, Garryyeva and WUMUN faculty advisor, Dr. Jacob Wobig, presented the positive aspects of participating in Model UN, such as gaining valuable research skills, improving public speaking abilities, and becoming a better global citizen.

“I think that students that participate in Model UN will get a whole bunch of benefits,” Wobig said when discussing different reasons for students to join the club. “Model UN brings home the practical significance of things you might be studying in your classes. Moreover, it’s one of the best ways to learn about topics like global poverty, war, human rights, or environmental sustainability, because we’ll be researching and debating these topics regularly.”

To participate in Model United Nations organizations, students simulate the operations of the United Nations through researching current world issues, representing an assigned nation, and negotiating with several others students in the roles of ambassadors. Together, they attempt to put aside the differences of their countries and write resolutions to solve real world problems in as efficient a way as possible. By doing these things, students of all majors and backgrounds can become better prepared for changing the world through their different careers.

Kyle Bromir, WUMUN’s Undersecretary General of Travel Logistics, firmly believes that Model UN, “actually builds concrete skills that you can use toward future professions. My public speaking skills have improved.”

In addition to helping students improve their professional skills and global awareness, Model UN is actually very enjoyable and exciting.

“I’ve made friends from all over the country,” said Jordan Corl, WUMUN Treasurer and history major, “I have an International Studies minor, so this plays along with my love of traveling and languages.”

“It’s a lot of fun,” Dr. Wobig agreed. “Like any intense experience, the people that participate in Model UN often develop strong and lasting friendships, both with people from the home school and also with all the participants from all the other schools that go to Model UN conferences. When we go to New York this spring for the National Model UN conference, there will be about 5,000 students there from all over the world that our students will be working with closely over four days. That’s pretty cool.”

With its emphasis on global perspectives and international exposure, Wingate University is the perfect home for an organization like Model United Nations. Students will be able to practically apply what they learn from GPS classes and W’International trips, as well as make meaningful friendships and have fun while doing it. Above all else, Model UN will teach Wingate students how to apply “Faith, Knowledge, Service” to the world problems which face us all as a global community.

Edited by Meredith Lalor and Brooke Griffin