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The 2012 UW Oshkosh Model United Nations team poses for a portrait after another successful National Model United Nations competition performance in New York from April 2 to April 7.

The University of Wisconsin Oshkosh Model United Nations team won two Outstanding Delegation Awards representing Zambia and Papua New Guinea at the 2012 National Model United Nations held at United Nations Headquarters in New York from April 2 to April 7.  In addition to the team awards, UW Oshkosh delegates also won numerous position paper and committee awards.  This was the 28th consecutive year the UW Oshkosh won awards at the National Model United Nations.

The week-long 2012 National Model United Nations, the world’s largest Model United Nations, involved over 5,000 student competitors from over 300 universities in 44 countries on six continents.  Student delegates debated a wide range of current issues and world events, using the same rooms and facilities as the global diplomats at the United Nations.  The concluding General Assembly was held in the Great Hall at UN Headquarters, and several UW Oshkosh students had the opportunity to speak from the marble rostrum from which the presidents, prime ministers, and kings of the world’s nations speak.

Chancellor Richard Wells came to New York to observe the Model UN team in action and accompany the team to the concluding awards ceremony, held in the Great Hall of UN Headquarters, where the actual General Assembly meets.

UW Oshkosh students won five Delegates’ Choice Awards, by vote of the participating delegates, and six position paper awards in the nine committees on which their countries were represented.

Students are judged on their diplomatic and negotiating skills, their ability to write legal documents that embody the agreements reached, the accuracy with which they represent their respective nations, their knowledge of global issues, their familiarity with the United Nations system and its procedures, practices, bodies, and committees, and their speaking ability.

During the competition, UW Oshkosh students met with the ambassadors and diplomats representing both Zambia and Papua New Guinea for briefing sessions based entirely on student questions.  These diplomats reviewed and commented on the student written position papers, noting that the papers accurately reflected the views of each of the nations they represented, and praised the knowledge of global issues demonstrated in the papers.  In addition, the students met with diplomats from the Mission of the African Union.

The students also met for separate briefings with UN officials from the United Nations Office of the Special Adviser (to the Secretary General) on Africa, Department of Disarmament Affairs, the Peacebuilding Support Office, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, and the United Nations Educational, Cultural, and Scientific Organization.  All complemented the students on the accuracy of their position papers, their research skills, and their knowledge of the United Nations.

Dr. Patrick Hayford, Director of the Office of the Special Adviser on Africa, enthusiastically complimented the UW Oshkosh students on their “extremely impressive” position papers which reflected “excellent research and detailed knowledge of African viewpoints.”  Dr. Hayford stated that it was “gratifying to see students studying Africa so thoroughly and achieving such a clear understanding of African viewpoints on global and regional issues and African institutions.”

The members of the UW Oshkosh delegation representing Zambia were:  Susan M. Asselin, Sheboygan Falls; Kyle O. Callen, Waukesha; David G. Cottingham, Green Bay; Thomas E. Demailly, Orsay, France; Jennifer R. Elkins, Sister Bay; Zachary L. Fritschel, West Bend; Ryan A. Hackbarth, Oshkosh; Pablo A. Juarez, Beloit; Katie C. Keelan, Wauwatosa; Rebecca R. Kemnitz, Wausau; Nicole A. Lehto, West Bend;  David M. Litman, Fond du Lac, head delegate; Madeline J. Meis, Marshfield; Kelsey L. Meske, Sussex; Anna C. Schlender, Kimberly; Alicia J. Speitz, Oshkosh;  Timothy J. Suess, Oshkosh; and Adam P. Wolf, Oshkosh.

The members of the UW Oshkosh delegation representing Papua New Guinea were: Samantha J. Asselin, Sheboygan Falls; Hayley A. Braatz, Watertown; Patrick D. McCorkle, Butte des Morts; Jason R. McDonald, Kaukauna; Chase W. Mitchell, Oshkosh; Scott T. Ryman, Belvidere, IL, head delegate; Andrew R.Simek, Slinger; Zachery D. Stuebs, Campbellsport.

Participating universities included Pace, Colorado, Syracuse, Georgia, Maryland, Baylor, California Polytechnic, Pittsburgh, Idaho, Montana, Washington State, Brigham Young, the City University of New York, Vassar College, the University of Hawaii, the University of London, the Free University of Berlin, the American University of Cairo, the Catholic University Andres Bello of Ecuador, Imperial College of London, the University of Quebec, Northwestern Polytechnic University of China, the University of New South Wales (Australia), the London School of Economics, and the Associazione Diplomatica of Italy.

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Nancy Ziebell submitted this renouncement on behalf of the International Studies Program. Faculty, staff and students are encouraged to contribute calendar items, campus announcements and other good news to UW Oshkosh Today.