Intense experience has PFW Model UN Team coming back for more

One way to describe attending the annual American Model United Nations Conference in Chicago might be controlled chaos that becomes more organized as the days pass.

“It's a weird sort of fun—sort of like placing a bunch of dominos, bringing them to a giant group of people with their setups of dominos, and as a group you let them all go and in unison watch the work from the last couple of months,” said Purdue University Fort Wayne junior Zachary Hughes. “Mixing the analogies, not all the dominos will fall, and not all your demands will be met, but the beautiful in-between is where you find cooperation.”

Participating might seem even more frantic in person, but also very fulfilling, as PFW students describe it. They must also enjoy it, because many of the 10 students who are eligible to participate often go back the following year. Seven from PFW returned this year—for the third time.

“The conference absolutely lives up to its reputation,” said senior Sasha Poda, a political science major and PFW’s Model United Nations club president. “All the staff and participants come prepared and fully committed to their roles. The energy is high, and there is a shared excitement among everyone. It’s a dynamic and immersive experience that truly brings diplomacy and international relations to life.”

The extracurricular club was initiated in 2008 by James Toole, associate professor of political science. One of those first students was Staci Bougher, now a limited-term lecturer in political science and co-director of the club.

“They come back with a new and deeper understanding of how hard it is to reach international agreement on pressing global matters,” Toole said. “They contribute in important new ways to class discussion and form a nucleus of students who spread awareness of international affairs throughout the student body.”

Each fall, the remaining club members gather to begin preparation for their annual trip. Word of mouth about the previous events draws newcomers. Though the majority are political science majors, there are also students from engineering, chemistry, computer science, physics, and even general studies, such as Hughes.

The club gathers weekly for an hour to study their international subjects and assign outside study tasks. This year, PFW was assigned to the west African country of Liberia before joining the 1,200 students representing 85 schools and 125 countries at the conference held the three days before Thanksgiving.

Among the topics the PFW team debated on behalf of Liberia were Indigenous rights, literacy rates, financial and economic stability and debt, and disarmament.”

“It is just sitting in a conference room trying to convince people you have their best interests in mind,” Hughes said. “It forces you to look at situations from a different point of view, not only through the lens of your country, but also through the stances of each country you want to collaborate with.”

Hughes also mentioned the benefits of getting away from campus to build better relationships with teammates and develop lasting camaraderie.

“The way they are on Day 1 compared to how they are on Day 3, you see phenomenal changes,” said Bougher, who has made seven trips as a student or faculty member. “It’s the three most intense days you can even imagine because you are in this simulation, everybody is there for the same reason, and they are arguing their topics. All of your concentration has to be on this space you are in for the next three days. It’s intense.”

Besides learning to compromise and argue their points, there are benefits.

“They are there with very elite, private schools, and they find that they can more than hold their own because we train them well,” Toole said.  “All these Big Ten and private, elite colleges, and our kids find out that they are smart, they know what they are doing, and they belong there. That’s a huge vote of confidence these students get.”

Almost everyone starts talking about going back the next year. Though Poda is graduating this spring and hopes to advance to law school, Pierce and Hughes said they plan on participating next year.

“It was a great simulation and also refreshing to be with other college students who have similar interests,” senior Thaylea Pierce said. “It was great to find a community here at PFW that I can rely on. I think I can safely say that I found a new home in Model U.N.”