Model UN Team takes home seven awards at Midwest Model UN conference

MURRAY, Ky. – Murray State University’s Model United Nations (UN) Team took home seven awards at the Midwest Model UN (MMUN) conference Feb. 21-24 in St. Louis, Missouri, marking the most successful performance in the team’s history.

The team includes 13 Murray State students:

• • • Audrey Stallings (President), a senior political science/legal studies major from Chandler, Indiana.

    • Nate Hunt (Vice President), a sophomore political science/legal studies major from Edwardsville, Illinois.

    • Mary Huffman (Historian), a senior culture and language studies/French major from Lexington, Kentucky.

    • Weslan Banks (Treasurer), a senior political science major from Paducah, Kentucky.

    • Jacob Lemon (Secretary), a senior political science major from Golconda, Illinois.

    • Jocelyn Stark, a junior history/social studies major from Smiths Grove, Kentucky.

    • Katie Ford, a senior political science major from St. Louis, Missouri.

    • Katrina Seelentag, a freshman English/creative writing major from Linden, Indiana.

    • Ali Khatib, a sophomore political science/legal studies major from Murray, Kentucky.

    • Brandt Knasel, a junior political science major from Edgewood, Kentucky.

    • Jyotiraditya "Joe" Kishore Thakkar, a sophomore economics major from Nashik, India.

    • Luke Wyatt, a senior political science/legal studies major from Benton, Kentucky.

    • Danielle Duncan, a senior political science major from Paducah, Kentucky.

Audrey Stallings, Nate Hunt, Jocelyn Stark, Katie Ford, Katrina Seelentag, Ali Khatib and Weslan Banks won Outstanding Delegation for the Federated States of Micronesia, which is awarded to the top eight delegations. Nate Hunt and Jocelyn Stark won the UN Environmental Assembly (UNEA) Outstanding Delegation for the Federated States of Micronesia. Brandt Knasel won the General Assembly 2 Position Paper Award for Austria. Mary Huffman earned the World Health Organization Position Paper Award for Austria. Audrey Stallings won the World Health Organization Position Paper Award for Micronesia. Weslan Banks and Ali Khatib earned the General Assembly 4 Position Paper Award for Micronesia. Nate Hunt and Jocelyn Stark won the UNEA Delegates Choice Award for Micronesia.

There were 83 delegations and about 500 students representing 29 universities competing in the event.

“This year’s successful performance at the Midwest Model UN conference is a testament to the dedication, teamwork and exceptional diplomatic skills exhibited by our Murray State students,” said Dr. Brittany Wood, Murray State’s Model UN Team faculty advisor. “This team invested a significant amount of time and effort in researching their assigned country's positions, policies and historical perspectives on various global issues including economic development, nuclear proliferation, maternal health and climate change. The students demonstrated exceptional teamwork by coordinating strategies, negotiating resolutions and supporting each other throughout the conference. Additionally, they exhibited outstanding leadership across each committee, in negotiations during informal sessions and while giving speeches on their working papers during formal sessions. I am incredibly proud of this team’s dedication to global diplomacy and am excited to see them recognized for their hard work!”

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.