Date: December 10, 2008
Contact: Dr. Ken Rutherford
(417) 836-6428

The Missouri State University World Affairs Council was named the overall outstanding delegation at the American Model United Nations International Conference in Chicago on Nov. 21-25.

The overall outstanding delegation award is the highest honor a delegation can receive at the conference. The recipient is chosen by a vote of all participating delegations and represents the team that most clearly embodied the spirit of the United Nations and the individual nation which they represent. More than 1,400 students from around the world participate in American Model United Nations, making the award an internationally recognized honor for Missouri State University.

“There was intense competition considering that there were only 13 countries that were not represented at the American Model United Nations this year,” said Dr. Ken Rutherford, associate professor of political science.

The team consisted of the following Missouri State students: Jessica Johnson, a graduate student receiving a master’s of public administration from Lyons, Kan.; Judith Rowland, a sophomore political science major from Springfield, Mo.; Lina Benabdallah, a graduate student receiving a  master’s in international affairs and administration from Algeria; Jeff Bernhard, a graduate student receiving a master’s in international affairs and administration and a master’s of public administration, from Rochester, N.Y.; Megan Hammer, a sophomore public administration major from Springfield, Mo.; Sahara Meyer, a senior sociology and criminology major from Washington, Mo.; and Joslyn Kusiak, a senior political science major from Independence, Kan.

“The Model United Nations team at Missouri State University was one of the significant reasons why I chose to attend Missouri State. This year’s conference was very competitive and intense and I really enjoyed negotiations with Israel over nuclear disarmament and working with the Arab League to address regional weapons concerns,” Rowland said.

In 2008, there were 179 member nations represented by more than 140 schools and Missouri State represented Palestine. As Palestine, the Missouri State students overcame significant bureaucratic and perception challenges in order to be voted by their inter-collegiate peers as best overall delegation.

The conference is split into committees representing the different bodies of the United Nations. Each committee has assigned topic areas which the delegates address through written resolutions. The purpose of the conference is to develop understanding of global politics and the United Nations and improve problem solving skills.

The Missouri State University World Affairs Council is a student organization dedicated to bringing attention to global issues. They participate each year in the American Model United Nations conference in Chicago. The conference acts as a simulation of the United Nations with each team assigned a country which they research and role-play at the conference.