While most students are familiar with what the United Nations is and its function, several members of the Pi Sigma Alpha political science club became even more accustomed with the duties of the U.N. through their participation in the Model U.N. with Arkansas high schools. On Nov. 16-17, six students presented three cases to high school students acting as members of a mock International Court of Justice to help deliver the experience of a real U.N.
The Model U.N., hosted by the University of Central Arkansas and their associate professor and director of the international studies program Mark Mullenbach occurs every year in Arkansas for high school students, but this is only the second time that Harding’s Pi Sigma Alpha members have assisted with it. Pi Sigma Alpha sponsor Dr. Mark Elrod got the club involved, and allows members to volunteer to participate and also approaches some that he thinks would do a good job with it.
“What my students get out of it is the benefit of learning a little bit more about international law and how the U.N. works and how the court of justice works,” Elrod said.
Once the participants are confirmed, two are chosen for each case to represent both sides. Sophomore political science major Tyler Sommers, one of Harding’s participants, said that once he and his partner were chosen, they attended meetings to discuss each case and research the cases. Once the research was complete, he along with fellow Harding students created a brief of the case to hand out to the court and had to be able to present and argue it in front of them. After the presentation, those who presented the case must be prepared to answer any questions the high school students had before the they made their decision.
Though it involves a lot of extra work, Elrod said it is an honor for their department and the majors in that department to be chosen to put these cases together.
“He (Mullenbach) has put a lot of trust in me and my students to research these cases and present them in an intelligent way where the students have to do some thinking about it,” Elrod said.
Sommers said he thought that participating was not only beneficial for the high school students but for him as well.
“It was good to learn about current events in the Middle East and help out high schoolers interested in political science,” Sommers said. “It was also fun to increase awareness and get them excited about studying politics.”
Pi Sigma Alpha will also participate in the Model Arab League this April, which is a national convention similar to Model U.N. but only for college students.
