By Ashley Berry, Liberal Arts – Political Science

I had the chance to sit down with Dr. Mueller, a Political Science Professor here at

SMCC. She teaches several courses including Intro to International Relations, American

Government, Comparative Politics, as well as some other Political Science classes. During our

sit down, we were able to discuss a variety of recent events including Trump, Bernie Sanders,

Hillary’s email scandal, and Model United Nations.

Dr. Mueller previously taught at UNE and took a class to the National Model United

Nations in New York City. National Model United Nations gives college students the

opportunity to address global conflicts in a real world setting. During the conference, students

will address issues on peacekeeping, economic and social development, human rights, the

environment, and regional conflicts. There are Model United Nations conferences in New York

City, Japan, Washington D.C., The Czech Republic, Massachusetts, and Philadelphia, with many

smaller organizations worldwide. We spent a large portion of our time talking about her

experience there, which lead to some serious interest about getting together a group of students at

SMCC who would be interested in creating a group on campus.

Within Model UN, student groups apply for a country and then are assigned to

departments within that county, based on the number of members of their group. Such

departments include the Department of the General Assembly, Department of the Economic and

Social Counsel, Department of Development, Department of Human Rights and Humanitarian

Affairs, and the Department of Peace and Security. Each of these departments has several

committees. For example, under the Department of the Economic and Social Counsel there is the

Commission of the Status of Women. Under the Department of Human Rights and Humanitarian

Affairs falls the World Food Program.

The National Model United Nations has a mission statement that is available on their

website. It quite perfectly sums up why being involved in Model United Nations is a fantastic

experience that will enrich students’ lives and make them more aware of the many issues that are

currently facing our world:

“We positively affect the lives of participants and prepare them to be better global

citizens through quality educational experiences that emphasize collaboration and cooperative

resolution of conflict. We envision a world comprised of civically engaged people who strive for

peaceful, multilateral conflict resolution and equitable, sustainable human development.”

Creating a Model United Nations group on campus would give students a chance to

participate in an incredibly enriching experience, and meet and network with students from all

around the world. If anyone is interested in participating in a Model United Nations group,

please send an email to ashleyaberry@smccme.edu.