There are few clubs at Notre Dame as rewarding as Model UN.

In Model UN, students take on the role of delegates to the United Nations, working together with delegates from other schools (and sometimes other countries) to “solve” pressing international issues.

In a nutshell, it’s a live United Nations simulation, and through it, students can walk away with valuable skills.

As co-president, I’ve been with the club since freshman year, and I can definitely say I’ve gained a greater appreciation for teamwork and effective communication.

Model UN boosts confidence, sharpens debate skills, increases knowledge of world events and stresses the importance of leadership and communication.

It’s a great opportunity to travel, meet and work with new people, and get ready for college.

Getting an entire room, or at least most of it, to sign onto global agreements can sometimes be a challenge, but it’s always fun and rewarding to see your hard work payoff in the end.

At NDA’s Model UN club, the year has just begun.

We held our first official meeting last week, but there’s still plenty of time to join!

To get a sense of what we’re up to right now, our first meeting went over the basics of the club and our outlook for the year.

For the next meeting, we’ll be practicing how to act at a Model UN conference by debating the issue of Afghan refugees from the viewpoint of countries we choose, as well as going over basic procedure.

It’d be a great meeting to attend if you’re interested in getting a handle on what our club actually looks like.

Meanwhile, club leadership is prepping and registering for our upcoming conferences.

In February, we will be sending ten delegates, largely upperclassmen, to the University of Chicago Model UN conference, the largest conference in the Midwest.

The four-day conference takes place in the heart of Chicago and boasts an average annual attendance in the thousands.

Outside of the conference, the event traditionally features a famous keynote speaker and a party for students.

It’s definitely something to look forward to.

In addition to  Chicago, the club historically attends both the UW-Milwaukee and Marian University (Fond du Lac) conferences, although the status of both are currently up in the air due to COVID-19.

At the moment, we’re exploring our options for “virtual” conferences to supplement our usual schedule of events if they are, in fact, cancelled for this year.

We hope you give Model UN a chance, and in the process, help solve most of the world’s problems in a few hours.

To join the club, join our Google Classroom using the class code “kvmdwjq” and stay posted for future meetings.