Maxwell’s Model United Nations delegation won top honors following a week-long conference in New York City. The team of 20 undergraduate international relations students represented the Republic of Gabon, earning an Outstanding Delegation Award for the simulation. Several students took home individual honors and acted in leadership roles.
Syracuse was one of 332 colleges and universities from 44 different countries to participate in the conference. Of the 159 schools at the same venue as Syracuse, only 19 were honored with the Outstanding Delegation Award. More than half of the 5,100 student delegates who attended came from outside the United States.
The National Model United Nations (NMUN) Conference took place during the first week of April, with sessions held at the U.N. headquarters and the Marriot Marquis in Times Square. The conference, which had a theme of “Hope for Lasting Peace,” is meant to simulate the everyday work of the United Nations. Syracuse students received a mission briefing from U.N. representatives from the Republic of Gabon. Ambassador Alfred Moungara Moutsosi, deputy permanent representative and political coordinator for the Republic of Gabon to the United Nations, was accompanied by Sanaa Makanga, public relations officer.
In addition to the entire team’s recognition as an Outstanding Delegation, individual awards went to Nicholas Iaquinto and Zachary Jutcovich for Best Position Paper in ATT, and Ivan Bakin and Kyra Murphy for Best Delegates in Security Council.
Three Maxwell delegates also landed leadership positions at the conference. The delegates were chosen following a rigorous selection process that tested their knowledge of the U.N. system and NMUN conference rules of procedure. Leah Moushey was selected to chair the General Assembly third committee, Yiwei Wu was selected as rapporteur for UNESCO and Iaquinto was named chair/rapporteur for UNICEF.
The other Syracuse delegates included Gifty Agyapong, Michelle Cantos, Team Chen, Flavia Colangelo, Carla Lopez, Juliann Merryman, Sean Moore, Aryn Rapp, Margaret Ruiz, Eduardo Sanin, Meghan Schneider, Charles Western, John Williams and Queenie Yue Gong.
Funding for the conference was provided by The College of Arts & Sciences co-curricular fund, the iLearn Fund, a generous donation from a Maxwell School alumnus and the students.
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