Model United Nations Team wins Outstanding Delegation Award

By MSU Public Relations | Dec 16, 2024

MURRAY, Ky. — The Murray State Model United Nations Team took home the Outstanding Delegation Award for exceptional representation of Yemen in the General Assembly Plenary at the American Model United Nations (AMUN) Conference 2024 in Chicago, Illinois from Nov. 23-26.

Team members represented Sudan and Yemen across five separate committees: the General Assembly First Committee, the General Assembly Second Committee, the General Assembly Third Committee, the General Assembly Plenary and the World Health Assembly. 

Students discussed and debated a variety of topics including disarmament, sustainability, agricultural development, rights of indigenous peoples and the public health dimension of the world drug problem.

“Participating in the AMUN Conference really helped me build my public speaking and research skills, and boosted my confidence in debating and negotiating,” said Audrey Dixon, a junior political science major. “It also gave me a whole new perspective on global issues and how complex international relations can be. I learned how important it is to listen to different perspectives and collaborate to find solutions that work for everyone. The discussions and interactions I had showed me the value of diplomacy and compromise in solving global issues. The best part was being able to get to know my classmates better and form long lasting connections with these amazing people!”

Murray State was among 69 schools that brought a total of 995 students to AMUN 2024 to represent a total of 110 countries.

“This year, our Murray State students achieved extraordinary success at the American Model UN conference, showcasing their dedication, collaboration and impressive diplomatic abilities,” said Dr. Brittany Wood, assistant professor of political science at Murray State and faculty advisor to the Model UN Team. “The team devoted extensive time and energy to understanding their assigned country’s stance on pressing global challenges, including economic growth, disarmament, maternal and child health, as well as climate change. They stood out as leaders, excelling in committee discussions, informal negotiations and formal presentations of their draft resolutions. It’s exciting to see their hard work and commitment to global diplomacy continually be recognized. I couldn’t be more proud of their performance and what they’ve accomplished!”

Murray State Model UN Team by committee:

General Assembly Plenary

• Laney Evans, Public Relations, Junior, of Calvert City, Kentucky (Sudan)
• Mary Huffman, International Studies/French, Senior, of Lexington, Kentucky (Sudan)
• Jyotiraditya Kishore Thakkar, Economics, Sophomore, of Mumbai, India (Yemen)
• Siddhi Kishore Thakkar, Business Administration/Global Communications, Graduate Student, of Mumbai, India (Yemen)

 

General Assembly First Committee (Disarmament & International Security)

• Weslan Banks, Political Science, Senior, of Paducah, Kentucky (Sudan)
• Katie Ford, Political Science, Senior, of St. Louis, Missouri (Sudan)
• Audrey Dixon, Political Science, Senior, of Owensboro, Kentucky (Yemen)
• Ali Khatib, Political Science/Legal Studies, Sophomore, of Murray, Kentucky (Yemen)

 

General Assembly Second Committee (Economic & Financial Affairs)

• Maximilian Braun, Management Information Systems, Junior, of Kelheim, Germany (Sudan)
• Nate Hunt, Political Science/Legal Studies, Junior, of Edwardsville, Illinois (Sudan)
• Riley Tubbs, Criminal Justice, Freshman, of Benton, Kentucky (Yemen)
• Sam Jackanicz, Engineering Physics, Freshman, of Trenton, Florida (Yemen)

 

General Assembly Second Committee (Economic & Financial Affairs)

• Danielle Duncan, Political Science, Senior, of Paducah, Kentucky (Sudan)
• Nazim Pacheco, Mathematics/Data Science, Junior, of Benque Viejo del Carmen, Belize (Sudan)
• Oumou Diombele, International Studies, Freshman, of Bamako, Mali (Yemen)
• Maggie Mae Drew, Global Languages/Spanish Translation, Senior, of Murray, Kentucky (Yemen)

 

World Health Assembly

• Jocelyn Stark, History/Social Studies Certification, Junior, of Smiths Grove, Kentucky (Sudan)
• Brant Knasel, Political Science, Junior, of Edgewood, Kentucky (Yemen)

The Murray State Model UN Team is designed to promote students’ active learning about the UN, international relations and important global issues and to help students develop their skills of debate, compromise, conflict resolution and negotiations by simulating the UN system. The club activities also help students gain a broader perspective of global issues and the role of the United Nations. To learn more about Model UN, visit bit.ly/MurrayStateModelUN or follow the team on Instagram @murraystatemun.