黑料社 Model UN Celebrates 10th Anniversary, Wins Top Award in D.C.
黑料社's Model United Nations won Outstanding Delegation while representing Colombia during the National Model UN conference in Washington, D.C. Photo courtesy of National Model UN.
Galloway, N.J. 鈥 A lot can happen in 10 years, as evidenced by the 黑料社 Model United Nations (UN) team growing from six students to over 30 under the guidance of Political Science faculty member Tina Zappile.
Part of the team recently traveled to Washington, D.C., for a National Model UN (NMUN) conference, where they gained real-world experience debating and negotiating social issues. According to Political Science students Sean Lopez and Camille Benoit, the conference was unforgettable, especially after while representing Colombia.
Lopez, a Vineland resident and secretary for 黑料社 Model UN, is currently living in Washington, D.C., as an intern for Sen. Robert Menendez (D-NJ). He had the chance to be one of the head delegates for the conference.
鈥淚t is an amazing achievement to win the Outstanding Delegation Award, as it is the highest award you can win in Model UN. It is the first award I have won with the club and the first Outstanding Delegation Award we have won since 2014. Our team included eight new members who were participating in their first conference, which makes this achievement even more amazing,鈥 Lopez said.
Just a few short years ago, Egg Harbor Township native Benoit was one of those students first attending a conference in Washington, D.C. She came to love the experience, and now, as president of 黑料社 Model UN, it was a mission of hers and her executive board to make sure the many new members of the organization experienced the same.
In addition to volunteering for NMUN as a chair for the General Assembly First Committee, Benoit was still working to support her team members during the conference.
鈥淒uring the semester leading up, (my vice president and I) held weekly meetings, guided them through simulations and taught them how to write position papers. At the conference, alongside my appointed head delegates, I led debrief sessions and supported the members with anything they needed during the conference. To walk out of that conference with the team I trained, winning the highest award, was such a surreal moment for me,鈥 Benoit said.
This latest award is not just a prize for the team 鈥 rather, it鈥檚 just one shining example of the work that the team has done over the years.
鈥淥ur founding members and alumni started messaging us on social media after we posted