CWC delegation takes top honors

 A delegation from Central Wyoming College won top honors at the Wyoming Model United Nations held at the University of Wyoming April 20-21.

Forensics students Nick Esposito and Amber Ezell each won best delegate for their respective work representing the Islamic Republic of Iran in the U.N. General Assembly and United Nations Development Program. Annawynn Blankenship earned honorable mention for best delegate in the U.N. Security Council, and Garret VonKrosigk received an honorable mention for the best paper in the U.N. Development Program.
The students were led by Assistant Director of Forensics William Cooney and advised by Director Jeremy Christensen. The Model UN affords students the opportunity to study a number of countries and to better understand their political, economic, and social positions regarding international mandates.
 
In preparing for the competition, Esposito and Ezell spent hours studying Iran and its reactions to a variety of potential issues of concern within the U.N., including those issues relating to Iran’s right to develop nuclear energy and the recognition of a Palestinian state, Christensen said.
 
Blankenship and VonKrosigk had to work through similar issues on India, he said, developing a sense of the economic and political challenges facing India as it emerges as a developing economy.
 
Martin Diaz, who also participated, advocated the political positions of Bolivia by studying that nation’s economic and political development in the context of Latin and South American politics.
 
The Model UN activity was sponsored by a Title VI grant, written and co-managed by Professor Jim Thurman, director of the International Studies at CWC, and Dr. Jean Garrison, director of International Studies at UW. The grant has fostered the participation of all the community colleges in the state. In accordance with its objectives, the grant has supported course development, an international speaker series, and additional activities promoting International Studies in Wyoming.