University of Wisconsin-Superior students Daniela Castiblanco and Muhammad Ahmad attended the Harvard National Model United Nations (HNMUN) conference this February. The New York Times has called the event the “Super Bowl of Model UN.”

The conference serves as a platform for students to engage in discussions on relevant global topics. Here, students can familiarize themselves with the decision-making processes of the United Nations while developing leadership, writing, collaboration and speaking skills. Additionally, they have the opportunity to network with other students from around the world.

Model UN has a long history at UWS. In previous years, the university participated in regional conferences, but those efforts ended during the Covid-19 pandemic. Due to a decline in student interest, Model UN remained dormant until Castiblanco’s initiative in 2023.

Castiblanco has been involved in Model UN since high school and was eager to continue her involvement at UW-Superior.

“I started Model United Nations when I was 15 years old,” says Castiblanco. “There was so much speaking and so many debates. I was excited and nervous, but I learned a lot. It went really well, and I thought, ‘This is my passion, and I want to keep doing this.’”

Ahmad and Castiblanco revived the opportunity through the International Peace Studies Association, a free campus organization open to students from all majors. After the student government, it is the second-oldest organization on campus.

Khalil (Haji) Dokhanchi, from the Social Inquiry Department, serves as the academic advisor for the association.

“I think Model UN is a wonderful opportunity for students to learn, first and foremost, about how the United Nations operates and how people make decisions,” said Dokhanchi. “This is a really intense competition. Students need to be prepared by understanding their country’s position, how that country would behave in various situations, and what their interests are. Then, they have to formulate arguments based on that position.”

Participants in Model UN are first assigned a country. Both Castiblanco and Ahmad were assigned Cambodia. They are then expected to prepare a position paper, an opening speech and a research binder.

Each Model UN conference follows different parliamentary procedures, but the goal of most is to form a resolution paper that outlines the problems each country wants to address, along with proposed solutions.

“I really like how serious it is,” says Castiblanco. “I love when you get involved and feel like you’re part of that country, defending it. That’s my favorite part.”

In April, the pair plans to attend another national Model UN conference in New York. This conference is one of the oldest and largest Model UN events, with students from over 120 colleges and universities expected to participate.

“I am extremely impressed with these students,” said Dokhanchi. “Daniela is the one who came in and put in a lot of time to organize the event. Now, this year, we’re coming back, and more students are becoming interested. I’m pretty confident that we will see a revival of this organization.”

By Olivia Fleming, an English major and student writer for UWS.