Annual Model United Nations at LHU

March 26, 2012

On Thursday and Friday, March 29 and 30, Lock Haven University will host its 41st annual Model United Nations for area high school students. The program is a two-day simulation wherein delegations representing over one hundred member countries of the United Nations draft and debate resolutions on contemporary international issues. High schools bring from three to twenty delegations to the Model UN. Central Mountain High School, Bucktail High School, Jersey Shore High School, Bellefonte High School, Bald Eagle Area High School, Williamsport Area High School, and the Sugar Valley Rural Charter School are among the regular participants.

This year delegates will debate resolutions on three themes:  the role of the UN in promoting gender equality, reforming the structure of the UN and the role of the UN in current international hotspots. The LHU Model United Nations program takes no position on what role---if any--the UN should play in the world.  It is up to the high school delegates to research international issues, to debate them, and to vote on them in the General Assembly sessions of the Model United Nations.

“Model UN provides an opportunity for participating high school students to investigate and interrogate history, politics, economics, cultures/societies, and geography in the context of real global evils,” says Dr. Andrew Musila, the current director of the program. 

According to Dr. Lawrence T. Farley, former program director, “the parliamentary nature of the Model UN helps the student participants to become more comfortable with official gatherings--such as city council and school board meetings.  They become more assertive as citizens because of their experience at our Model UN.  The student delegates see that orderly and courteous debate is an important learning process and is central to being an effective citizen.”

The Model United Nations program was begun by Dr. Jorge Mottet, a professor in the history department and later a Director of International Education at LHU.  Dr. Farley took over the program when he arrived at LHU in 1979 directed the program for nearly three decades.   The program is currently directed by Dr. Musila.  Over the years over 14,100 area high school students have participated. It is the largest of the high school outreach programs operated by LHU.  

All of the documents that define the Model UN program are available at the LHU Model United Nations Web Page at: http://www.lhup.edu/~lfarley/munhome.htm 

Contact:  Dr. Andrew Musila, Professor of Political Science, LHU at 570-484-2491.