Harvard’s Model United Nations invites CLU to Conference

(THOUSAND OAKS, CA–March 2006)–California Lutheran University’s Model United Nations team was invited to participate in the Harvard Model United Nations Conference held in Boston from Feb. 16–20. CLU students served as representatives of the country of St. Lucia.

Approximately 2,000 students attended the invitation–only conference. Participating countries included the United States, Australia, China, Turkey, Peru, Mexico, Japan, India, Ireland, Germany, France, Indonesia, Italy, Denmark, Indonesia, Singapore, Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, and Venezuela.

CLU’s team, led by political science professor Dr. Gregory Freeland joined teams from Stanford, Yale, Berkeley and West Point in representing the United States in committee debates in which each team represented a chosen country. As acting delegates, each team had to take on the political and ideological beliefs of the country it was representing when discussing issues of importance. Among the issues discussed by CLU were foreign intervention and the economic struggles of the Caribbean region.

According to Freeland, the students’ confidence in their ability to work in groups, to compromise, and to resolve conflicts increased tremendously as did their knowledge of how a small, seemingly unimportant country can play an influential role in the world of international politics and economics.

“I also believe the students returned to CLU with a better sense of the value of the education they can receive at CLU after interacting with peers from around the world,” added Freeland, whose areas of academic expertise include the politics and cultures of the Caribbean region.

Students from CLU included head delegate Stacie Allen (Whittier), Silge Gruner (Oslo, Norway), Kelly Tiller (Peoria, Ariz.), Brian Mann (Simi Valley) and Kirsten Lindholm (Lafayette, Colo.).

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