The National Model United Nations
Written by Eli Matola
Have a desire to visit the Big Apple? Hoping to learn more about, and maybe one day enter, the world of international law? University of Hawaii at Hilo (UH Hilo) Political Science major Lazareth Sye has said yes and yes. The senior is currently the acting leader of the university's dignified National Model United Nations or NMUN. Every year, UH Hilo enables a student team to visit New York City and compete against other teams at the United Nations headquarters.
Technically called the NMUN in N.Y., this gathering of students from across America is, according to Sye, where you “prove that not only do you understand how international politics work, but [] you can utilize them to achieve you host country’s views.”
He explained that the UH Hilo team will learn how international laws are created and implemented at the event. In N.Y.’s NMUN, teams must know about their chosen country and how it functions within the geopolitical domain. What treaties would it endorse? With which nation states would it work? Sye asserts the gathering can be a challenge, but the UH Hilo NMUN team is always prepared.
The official National Model United Nations logo. Photo courtesy of Eli Matola.
When asked how his current courses affect his NMUN participation, the Political Science major states, “[NMUN] is the real test of what I'm learning here at UH Hilo. Everyday at the NMUN, you have to be ready to apply the researching and conflict management skills you learn in Dr. Lee’s course [Political Science 342: International Law] to overcome obstacles [and] achieve success. The courses have been fundamental in my trek to New York in regard to international policy. The classes here UH Hilo are broken down so that you fully understand each and every component of international policy making."
When later asked how NMUN might look on a resume and the advantages of joining, Sye asseverates, “By attending the NMUN, I feel even more empowered to go and apply for civil service exam with the U.S. State Department so that I can work in the real United Nations, making a real impact around the world.”
The senior has also been able to apply what he learns from NMUN around campus. His experience has provided him with what the UH Hilo Student Association looks for in a student leader, another position of which he partakes. He explains, “I have used the teamwork attitude [from NMUN] to work with all kinds of people with different backgrounds to come together to make things work on campus.”
In general, NMUN can help students gain a broader view of the world and just how important working together to build a better future is. Sye aspires to one day work for the United Nations. He affirms that this UH Hilo program has allowed him to sample what he wants to pursue as a career and represent his university. He believes every student enrolled in an international course should participate in NMUN.
He ends, “Learning something is one thing; applying what you learn is another. There is no better test than the real thing, or somewhat real thing. If you want to change the world, be that change. Join.”
Interested in the UH Hilo NMUN? Visit its Facebook page, UH Hilo NMUN Club, or visit the NMUN webpage for more information. Also, feel free to contact the club at nmunhilo@hawaii.edu. The next club meeting will be held on October 9 at 3:00 p.m. in University Classroom Building (UCB) 330.
