Model UN team prepares to represent OU at Canadian conference

By Eric Reikowski, media relations assistant

OU's Model UN team garnered many awards at their last conference, both as individuals and as a team.

Oakland University’s Model United Nations team is gearing up for their next competition in February at the North American Model UN Conference in Toronto, Canada.

The team turned in a stellar performance at the Lake Erie Model UN Conference held Oct. 29-Nov. 1, in Cleveland, Ohio. More than a dozen schools from across the country participated in the event, with OU capturing second place in the overall competition.

One of several Model UN events held annually, the conference gave participants hands-on experience debating diverse international issues. Participants engaged in role-playing exercises, representing the interests of various UN member countries.

“We prepared for the conference by doing research on issues before the UN and learning about the positions and orientation of the countries we will represent,” said Paul Kubicek, professor of political science and coach of the Model UN team. He added that much of this work was done as part of PS 362, a two-credit course devoted to Model UN that helps students learn conference rules, as well as hone their research and public speaking skills.

The team’s performance was highlighted by many strong contributions from its members. In fact, seven of the 15 OU students who competed at the conference garnered individual awards. One of those honorees was Brett Geschke, a senior political science major who represented the Russian Federation on the UN Security Council. Geschke received a rating of “excellent” for his performance and was awarded the chairman’s gavel as the top delegate on the Security Council.

“The thing I enjoy most about Model UN is building the ability to articulate professionally at conferences, as well as learning about international issues extensively,” Greschke explained. “Our council discussed narcoterrorism, the Arab-Israeli conflict, as well as North Korea. After a lot of research and discussion, I have been thoroughly educated on all of those topics.”

For more information on Oakland’s Model UN team, contact Kubicek at kubicek@oakland.edu.