On February 24^th, 2005 the Florida State University World Affairs Program departed for the prestigious University of California at Berkeley Model United Nations Conference hosted for the ninth time in San Francisco, California, the birthplace of the United Nations. For the fourth year in a row, Florida State University's World Affairs Program placed first over many renowned private and public universities to receive the award for Best Large Delegation (1^st Place). Thirty-two universities were in attendance including Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, the United States Military Academy at West Point, the University of California Los Angeles, Stanford University, and the University of Chicago.  Other top finishers included the United States Military Academy, awarded Best Small Delegation and the University of Pennsylvania, awarded Outstanding Large Delegation.

Conference delegates participated in an array of committees, including both General Assembly bodies of the United Nations, Economic and Social Council committees, Regional Summit bodies, and Crisis Simulations. The Florida State delegation received several individual awards, including three of eleven Best Delegate awards, six Outstanding Delegate awards, five Honorable Delegate awards and verbal commendation for two delegates in top committees at the conference. The delegates competed in parliamentary debate and were required to research and show extensive policy knowledge in addition to using diplomatic prowess to achieve success. The Best Delegate (1^st Place) awards in crisis and regional summit bodies were presented to Danielle Hale as the United Kingdom in the United Nations Security Council, Kathleen Johnson as the United Kingdom in the European Council and Colin Kresse as Thailand in the Economic and Social Committee for Asia and the Pacific. Other crisis and regional summit committee awards include Verbal commendations to Geoffrey Bakker in his role as The Netherlands in the European Council and Ben Lawson in his role as the United Kingdom in the Economic and Social Committee for Asia and the Pacific.

Florida State delegates also received several awards for their participation in the General Assembly committees. Outstanding Delegate (2^nd Place) award winners were Allin Hedge as the United Kingdom in the United Nations Development Programme, Jason Miller as Mexico and Kim Kayatta as the United Kingdom  in the Social, Cultural, and Humanitarian Committee, and Dev Goel as the United Kingdom in the Special Political and Decolonization Committee.  Three Honorable Delegate (3^rd Place) awards were given to David Montez and Aakash Patel for their respective roles as Mexico and the Netherlands in the Special Political and Decolonization Committee and Christian Leiva as the Netherlands in the Social, Cultural and Humanitarian Committee. 

In the four Economic and Social Council committees Florida State was also well represented.  World Affairs Program members Sarah Rodriguez and Fernanda Vanetta earned Outstanding Delegate (2^nd Place) as the United Kingdom and Thailand in the Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice Committee and the World Health Organization respectively.  Honorable Delegate (3^rd Place) awards went to Kevin McGarry for his role as the United Kingdom in the World Health Organization and Meghan Strandell for the United Kingdom in the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization.

The World Affairs Program is a student-run academic program within the College of Social Sciences, which gives the students of FSU a social, academic, and competitive outlet in an educational setting. The primary mission of the World Affairs Program is to promote an increased awareness of the global community, while at the same time encouraging personal, social, and political growth among those who participate in the program. Membership in the program is both free and open to all students regardless of major or level of experience.

For more information contact: Danielle Hale, Director at 850-644-6609 or director@fsuwap.org. Additional information is available on the World Affairs Program website at http://www.fsuwap.org.

Tuesday, February 1, 2005

On January 27th – 30th, 2005, twenty students from the Florida State University World Affairs Program competed at the fourteenth annual session of McGill University’s Model United Nations Conference hosted by the McGill University in Montreal, Canada.  Delegates from the Florida State University World Affairs Program participated in parliamentary debate and crisis simulations along with delegates from universities all over the world, including several prestigious institutions, such as Georgetown, Harvard, Cornell, William & Mary, the University of Bremen, and the United States Military Academy at West Point.  The Florida State University World Affairs Program has been well represented at this conference in the past.  Their record includes two first place finishes and a second in as many years at this conference.  This year, the team fell just shy of the first place delegation, the University of Calgary, by a single award. 

At the conference, students from Florida State competed in General Assembly and Specialized Agency committees in which students represent the delegation of an assigned nation and are expected to debate topics, accurately portraying the state’s policy and behavior.  These committees are static in nature with respect to the rest of the world because the external environment is the same at the beginning and end of committee, and the debate focuses on long run solutions.  World Affairs Program students also participated in more intense committees, various bodies that simulate fictional and historic crises in a dynamic setting.  In crisis simulations, the participants took on the role of a specific person or political office.  Crisis bodies faced a fictional conflict that escalated tensions once committee began.  Delegates were then expected to act within their capacity to solve the problem.  Both types of experiences imparted education and insight into the way the United Nations, other governmental and intergovernmental bodies, and international diplomacy operate.  They provided an intellectual challenge for the best and brightest from schools around the world. 

 The group of 20 traveling members put hard work and extra hours into researching and preparing for the debate.  Their efforts were noted in their honorable finish and several individual distinctions. In the Specialized Agencies, Danielle Hale was awarded Best Delegate (1st Place) in the African Union as Senegal. In the Economic and Social Council committees, FSU students also earned recognition. Dev Goel earned Best Delegate (1st Place) as the Republic of France in the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development. Ashley Clampitt also earned Best Delegate as the Republic of France in the Commission on Human Rights. Tre Argerious received Honorable Mention (2nd Place) on the Special Session on Indigenous Peoples as the French Republic as well.  Finally, in the Specialized Agencies Colin Kresse earned a Verbal (3rd Place) in the Special Session on Peace building and Post Conflict Reconstruction as Senegal. 

The World Affairs Program is a student-run academic program within the College of Social Sciences, which gives the students of FSU a social, academic, and competitive outlet in an educational setting. The primary mission of the World Affairs Program is to promote an increased awareness of the global community, while at the same time encouraging personal, social, and political growth among those who participate in the program. Membership in the program is both free and open to all students regardless of major or level of experience.   Students interested in getting involved should visit the website and look out for information tables in the Oglesby Union, and our next tryout February 4, 2005.

For more information contact: Danielle Hale, Director at 850-644-6609 or director@fsuwap.org. Additional information is available on the World Affairs Program website at http://www.fsuwap.org.

Friday, March 26, 2004 (Tallahassee, FL)

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On March 18th, 2004 the 16 students of the Florida State University World Affairs Program departed for the prestigious Virginia International Committee Simulation hosted for the ninth time in Charlottesville, Virginia from March 18th – 21st, 2004. For the first time at this conference, Florida State University's World Affairs Program placed first over many renowned private and public universities at this conference to receive the award for Best Delegation (1st Place). This follows their win at the University of California at Berkeley’s Model United Nations Conference held just March 4th – 8th. Fifteen universities were in attendance at the conference hosted by the University of Virginia including Cornell University, the University of Pennsylvania, the Princeton University, and the University of Florida.

Comprised of crisis committees and summit bodies ranging in size from nine to thirty participants per committee, this conference attracts top competitors and afforded Florida State University students an opportunity to hone their skills and shine in a smaller, more intimately competitive setting. Conference delegates participated in an array Crisis Simulations including historical, present-day, and futuristic Crisis Simulations.

The Florida State delegation received several individual awards, including five of fourteen Best Delegate awards, one Outstanding Delegate award, one Honorable Delegate award and verbal commendation for three delegates in committees at the conference. The delegates competed in parliamentary debate and were required to research and show extensive policy knowledge in addition to using diplomatic prowess and spur of the moment critical thinking and analysis to achieve success.

The Best Delegate (1st Place) awards were presented to Daniel Rossman as the Minister of Unification in the futuristic Federal Korean Cabinet: 2065, Dave Thurmond as Champion de Cicé in the historical 1789 French National Assembly, Holly Anne Smith as Wu Bangguo: Vice premier for the State Council in the Chinese Politburo, Sara Murphy as Chief of Police Bernard Kerik in the New York City Mayor’s council set on September 11, 2001, and Fernanda Vanetta for her role as National Spokesman: Roger Salazaar in the 2004 Race for the White House committee of Democrats. Colin Kresse earned the Outstanding Delegate (2nd Place) award for his role as State Director 2 in the 2004 Race for the White House committee of Democrats. Earning an Honorable Delegate Award (3rd place), Meghan Strandell was recognized for her work as Dr. Ibrahim bin Abdulaziz bin Abdullah Al-Assaf: Min. of Finance in the Saudi Arabian Council. Finally, Verbal Commendations were earned by Jason Miller in the 480 BC Hellenistic League as Phocis, Tre Argerious in the 480 BC Hellenistic League as Naxos, and Dev Goel who participated in the French Bilingual committee dealing with the African Congo as the Interahamwe.

This win is the third of the academic year for the World Affairs Program whose record this year also includes a 1st place finish at Georgetown University’s National Collegiate Security Conference in October 2003, a 2nd place finish at the McGill University’s Model United Nations Conference held in Montreal, Canada late in January and another 1st place finish at the University of California at Berkeley’s Model United Nations Conference held March 4th – 8th, 2004 in San Francisco California.

The World Affairs Program is a student-run academic program within the College of Social Sciences, which gives the students of FSU a social, academic, and competitive outlet in an educational setting. The primary mission of the World Affairs Program is to promote an increased awareness of the global community, while at the same time encouraging personal, social, and political growth among those who participate in the program. Membership in the program is both free and open to all students regardless of major or level of experience.

For more information contact: Danielle Hale, Director at 850-644-6609 or director@fsuwap.org.
Additional information is available on the World Affairs Program website at http://www.fsuwap.org.

Wednesday, March 10, 2004 (Tallahassee, FL)

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On March 4th, 2004 the Florida State University World Affairs Program departed for the prestigious University of California at Berkeley Model United Nations Conference hosted for the eighth time in San Francisco, California, the birthplace of the United Nations. For the third year in a row, Florida State University's World Affairs Program placed first over many renowned private and public universities to receive the award for Best Large Delegation (1st Place). Twenty-four universities were in attendance including Harvard University, the University of Pennsylvania, the United States Military Academy at West Point, the University of California Los Angeles, Stanford University, and the University of Chicago. Other top finishers included Harvard University, awarded Best Small Delegation and the University of Pennsylvania, awarded Outstanding Large Delegation.

Conference delegates participated in an array of committees, including both General Assembly bodies of the United Nations, Economic and Social Council committees, Regional Summit bodies, and Crisis Simulations. The Florida State delegation received several individual awards, including five of nine Best Delegate awards, five Outstanding Delegate awards, three Honorable Delegate awards and verbal commendation for six delegates in top committees at the conference. The delegates competed in parliamentary debate and were required to research and show extensive policy knowledge in addition to using diplomatic prowess and spur of the moment critical thinking and analysis to achieve success.

The Best Delegate (1st Place) awards in crisis and regional summit bodies were presented to Daniel Rossman as the United States in the Organization of American States and Evan Wesser as the United States in the NATO-Russia Council. Other crisis and regional summit committee awards include Outstanding Delegate (2nd Place) awards earned by Holly Anne Smith as Colin Powell in the Executive Committee on the Iraqi Crisis, Danielle Hale as the United States on the United Nations Security Council and Nicole Cubides as the United States in the Organization of American States. Verbal Commendation was earned by Will Hoover for work as Denmark in the NATO-Russia Council.

Florida State delegates also placed first in each of the General Assembly bodies, containing on average approximately seventy-five delegates each. Best Delegate (1st Place) award winners were Allin Hedge as the United States in the Disarmament and International Security Committee and Fernanda Vanetta as Indonesia in the Special Political and Decolonization Committee. The Outstanding Delegate (2nd Place) winner was Colin Kresse for his role as the United States of America in the Special Political and Decolonization Committee. Three Honorable Delegate (3rd Place) awards were given to Geoffrey Bakker, Aakash Patel, and Stephanie Moss for their respective roles as Kenya, Argentina, and Denmark in the Special Political and Decolonization Committee. Finally Verbal Commendation was earned by Brian Bowles for his work in as Indonesia in the Disarmament and International Security Committee.

In the three Economic and Social Council committees, ranging from forty to fifty delegates in size, Florida State was also well represented. World Affairs Program member Sara Murphy earned Best Delegate (1st Place) as the United States in the World Health Organization. Dave Thurmond was awarded Outstanding Delegate (2nd Place) for his work as the United States of America on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Verbal Commendations were earned by Andrew Schaefer and Leyla Davis as Denmark and Kenya on the Commission on Human Rights, Megan Muroski for her work as Denmark on the World Health Organizaiton, and Meghan Strandell as Kenya on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

This win is the second of the academic year for the World Affairs Program whose record this year also includes a 1st place finish at Georgetown University’s National Collegiate Security Conference in October 2003 and a 2nd place finish at the McGill University’s Model United Nations Conference held in Montreal, Canada late in January. The World Affairs Program will send a team of sixteen students to compete in the University of Virginia’s conference, the Virginia International Committee Simulations, March 18-21, 2004. Comprised of crisis committees and summit bodies ranging in size from nine to thirty participants per committee, this conference attracts top competitors and will afford Florida State University students an opportunity to hone their skills and shine in a smaller, more intimately competitive setting. World Affairs Program members are eager to augment the successful record they have attained thus far this year.

The World Affairs Program is a student-run academic program within the College of Social Sciences, which gives the students of FSU a social, academic, and competitive outlet in an educational setting. The primary mission of the World Affairs Program is to promote an increased awareness of the global community, while at the same time encouraging personal, social, and political growth among those who participate in the program. Membership in the program is both free and open to all students regardless of major or level of experience.

For more information contact: Danielle Hale, Director at 850-644-6609 or director@fsuwap.org.
Additional information is available on the World Affairs Program website at http://www.fsuwap.org.

Wednesday, January 28, 2004 (Tallahassee, FL)

On January 21st – 26th, 2004, twenty students from the Florida State University World Affairs Program competed at the fourteenth annual session of McGill University’s Model United Nations Conference hosted by the McGill University in Montreal, Canada. Delegates from the Florida State University World Affairs Program will participated in parliamentary debate and crisis simulations along with delegates from universities all over the country and Canada, including several prestigious institutions, such as Georgetown, Cornell, William & Mary, and the United States Military Academy at West Point. The Florida State University World Affairs Program has been well represented at this conference in the past. Their record included two first place finishes in as many years at this conference. This year, the team placed second ahead of more than one hundred other participating universities from across the continent and just behind the first place finish of William and Mary. The team still currently holds the title of Best Delegation earned at Georgetown’s National Collegiate Security Conference this fall.

At the conference, students from Florida State competed in General Assembly committees in which students represent the delegation of an assigned nation and are expected to debate topics, accurately portraying the state’s policy and behavior. World Affairs Program students also participated in more intense committees, various bodies that simulate fictional and historic crises. In crisis simulations, the participants take on the role of a specific person or role. These bodies are then given a fictional crisis to deal with and are expected to act within the group to solve this problem. These experiences impart education and insight into the way the United Nations and international diplomacy operate and provide a social and intellectual challenge for the best and brightest from schools around the world.

Several students from Florida State University earned distinction at the conference. Allin Hedge in the Special Summit on Business Ethics and Globalization was awarded Honorable Mention (2nd Place) as the United Kingdom in the General Assembly.

In Economic and Social Council bodies Kevin McGarry earned Honorable Mention on the United Nations Children's Fund as the United Kingdom, Daniel Rossman earned Honorable Mention as the United Kingdom on the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Chris Bennett received Honorable Mention on the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees - Executive Committee, and both delegates from Florida State in the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean earned Honorable Mention, Sarah Rodriguez representing the United Kingdom and Colin Kresse representing Paraguay.

In Specialised Agencies Danielle Hale was awarded an Honorable Mention in the European Intergovernmental Conference for her role as Tony Blair, Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. Finally delegates also contended in Crisis Committees including the United Nations Security Council in which Holly Anne Smith representing the United Kingdom won Outstanding Delegate (1st Place), East Asia 2008: Middle Kingdom, Rising Sun in which Evan Wesser earned Verbal Commendation (3rd Place) for his role on the Japanese Cabinet as Masahiko Komura. The group of 20 traveling members put hard work and extra hours into researching and preparing for the debate. Their efforts were noted in their Honorable finish.

The World Affairs Program is a student-run academic program within the College of Social Sciences, which gives the students of FSU a social, academic, and competitive outlet in an educational setting. The primary mission of the World Affairs Program is to promote an increased awareness of the global community, while at the same time encouraging personal, social, and political growth among those who participate in the program. Membership in the program is both free and open to all students regardless of major or level of experience. Students interested in getting involved should visit the website and look out for information tables in the Oglesby Union January 26th – February 3rd, and our next tryout February 3, 2004.

For more information contact: Danielle Hale, Director at 850-644-6609 or director@fsuwap.org.
Additional information is available on the World Affairs Program website at http://www.fsuwap.org.

Thursday, November 13, 2003 (Tallahassee, FL)

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The Florida State University World Affairs Program continued its solid conference performance at the thirty-seventh annual session of the University of Pennsylvania Model United Nations Conference on November 6-9, 2003. Delegates from the Florida State University World Affairs Program met in Philadelphia to participate in parliamentary debate and crisis simulations along with delegates from universities all over the country, including several prestigious institutions, such as Yale, Columbia, Georgetown, and Princeton. The Florida State University was well represented, and several delegates from the school placed at the top of their respective committees.

Students from Florida State performed very well in the conference’s crisis and specialized agency committees. Delegates in these committees were rewarded for their extensive knowledge of policies and the topic, debating skills, and most importantly the ability to react quickly to myriad situations presented to them throughout the duration of the simulations. Daniel Rossman received Best Delegate (1st place) recognition for his efforts in the World Summit on Space. Matthew Gaetz was awarded an Outstanding Delegate (2nd Place) award for his participation in the North Korean Cabinet. Josh Curry received Verbal commendation for his role representing the Netherlands on the European Council as did Danielle Hale for her role as Undersecretary of State Richard Armitage in the United States National Security Council Simulation.

World Affairs Program delegates also placed in several of the General Assembly bodies, containing on average approximately sixty-five delegates each. The delegates competed in parliamentary debate and were required to research and show extensive policy knowledge in addition to using diplomatic prowess to achieve success. An Outstanding Delegate (2nd Place) award in the General Assembly Committee was awarded to Allin Hedge in the Disarmament and International Security Committee. Honorable Delegate (3rd Place) awards went to Fernanda Vanetta in the Special Political and Decolonization committee, Sarah Rodriguez and Jason Miller in the Disarmament and International Security Committee, and Leyla Davis and Chris Smith in the Legal Committee. Andrew Schaefer was awarded Verbal commendation for his work on the Economic and Financial Committee. Awards in the Economic and Social Council bodies were as follows: Dwight Greene earned an Honorable Delegate (3rd Place) award in the Commission on Science and Technology, and Brian Bowles and Sara Murphy each earned Verbal praise for their performances on the Commission on Narcotics and Drugs, and the Commission on Human Rights respectively.

The World Affairs Program is a student-run academic program within the College of Social Sciences, which gives the students of FSU a social, academic, and competitive outlet in an educational setting. The primary mission of the World Affairs Program is to promote an increased awareness of the global community, while at the same time encouraging personal, social, and political growth among those who participate in the program. Membership in the program is both free and open to all students regardless of major or level of experience.

For more information contact: Danielle Hale, Director at 850-644-6609 or director@fsuwap.org. Additional information is available on the World Affairs Program website at http://www.fsuwap.org.

Thursday, November 13, 2003 at 8:00 am (Tallahassee, FL)

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On October 30th, 2003 the Florida State University World Affairs Program departed for the prestigious National Collegiate Security Conference hosted for the thirty-first time by Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. For the fourth year in a row, Florida State University's World Affairs Program championed over many renowned private and public universities, including the University of Pennsylvania, Harvard University, Cornell, William and Mary, McGill University and the University of Virginia to receive the award for Best Large Delegation (1st Place). Other top finishers included U.S. Military Academy at West Point, awarded Best Small Delegation and Harvard University, awarded Honorable Large Delegation.

Conference delegates participated in an array of committees, including both General Assembly bodies of the United Nations and Georgetown's prominent Crisis Simulations. The Florida State delegation received several individual awards, including two Best Delegate awards, an Outstanding Delegate award, and an Honorable commendation in top committees at the conference. The delegates competed in parliamentary debate and were required to research and show extensive policy knowledge in addition to using diplomatic prowess to achieve success. The Best Delegate (1st Place) awards were presented to Danielle Hale as the United States in the United Nations Security Council and Holly Anne Smith as Kliment Yefremovich Voroshilov in the 1955: Russian Praesidium. Other crisis committee awards include an Outstanding Delegate (2nd Place) award earned by Evan Wesser as the Director of Central Intelligence in the United States National Security Council and Honorable Delegate (3rd Place) earned by Tre Argerious for work as the Minister of Intelligence in the Japanese Cabinet.

Florida State delegates also placed in each of the General Assembly bodies, containing on average approximately seventy-five delegates each. Outstanding Delegate (2nd Place) award winners were Dev Goel and Nicole Cubides as the United States of America in the Social and Humanitarian Committee. Honorable Delgate (3rd Place) awards were earned by Sara Murphy and Will Hoover as the Netherlands in the Disarmament and International Security Committee and Allin Hedge and Leyla Davis as the United States of America in the Ad-hoc Committee on Terrorism. Sarah Rodriguez and Chris Bennett were also recognized with a Verbal award for their performance as the United States of America in the Disarmament and International Security Committee.

The World Affairs Program is a student-run academic program within the College of Social Sciences, which gives the students of FSU a social, academic, and competitive outlet in an educational setting. The primary mission of the World Affairs Program is to promote an increased awareness of the global community, while at the same time encouraging personal, social, and political growth among those who participate in the program. Membership in the program is both free and open to all students regardless of major or level of experience.

For more information contact: Danielle Hale, Director at 850-644-6609 or director@fsuwap.org. Additional information is available on the World Affairs Program website at http://www.fsuwap.org.