January 25, 2022

SVSU students distinguish themselves at Model United Nations conference

Two Saginaw Valley State University students distinguished themselves during the American Model United Nations (AMUN) conference. Political science majors Trenton Basner of Otisville and Ethan Rose of Ypsilanti earned the Outstanding Delegation Award for the contemporary Security Council.

For Basner, who serves as president of SVSU’s Model UN Club, this was the second consecutive conference where he captured honors; in 2020, he won as a distinguished delegate, representing France on the Human Rights Council. This was Rose’s first AMUN award.

This year, SVSU’s Model UN team sent 16 students to AMUN, which returned to an in-person conference following last year’s virtual event. The students were assigned to represent the United Kingdom.

“Our Model UN team was one of the best-trained schools in attendance,” said Stewart French, associate professor of political science and Model UN Club advisor. “Many of the conference’s simulation staff congratulated and praised our students. SVSU has a reputation at the conference of having well-prepared, professional students.”

In addition to Basner and Rose, the students representing SVSU at the American Model UN conference were:

Austin Ball, a social studies major from Hemlock
B Browne, a political science major from Midland
Kevin Conley, of Port Huron, a marketing major
Nicholas Dubois, a political science major from Midland
William Graczyk, of Midland, a political science major
James Kilts, of Saginaw, a chemistry major
Madison Klimowicz, a political science major from East Pointe
Jefferson Kusterer, a political science major from Rochester Hills
Vitor Zanon, an international studies major from Brazil
Abigail Sefcik, of Bellevue, a political science major
Alaina Short, an international studies major from Flushing
Kolton Snider, of Mt. Pleasant, a political science major
Gabriel Villarreal, a political science major from Freeland
Elijah Wojtowicz, a social studies major from Birch Run

The Model United Nations program is designed to educate students about current events, topics in international relations, diplomacy and the United Nations’ agenda. At the AMUN and other annual conferences, students role play as diplomats representing a country or non-governmental organization (NGO).

French reported that 68 schools, representing 133 countries, attended the conference in Chicago Nov. 20-23, 2021. They competed over four days, for roughly 24 hours of simulation time, including an early-morning emergency session of the Security Council.

“I had a strong team of students engaged in their committees for the full simulation,” French said.