MND Students Take on the World
Mount Notre Dame’s Model United Nations program consistently produces student-delegates who achieve great things at the conferences in which the students participate. The fall was full of excitement for MND’s award-winning program. At a conference held at the University of Dayton, some of MND’s delegates addressed Inter-American Drug Policy and Landmines, bringing home an Outstanding Delegate award for MND senior Amy Flynn of Evendale and an Honorable mention for senior Kelly Dennis of Symmes Township.
For the first time, however, the program truly went international in November when a group of delegates traveled to Berlin, Germany, to attend the John F. Kennedy School’s international conference (BERMUN). MND was one of only four U.S. schools to send a delegation to Berlin for this international conference in which 750 students representing 77 schools from 33 nations tackled the topic of “Global Ethics: Rules for Global Warfare.”
MND delegates represented Saudi Arabia and, coincidentally, were seated just behind students from that country who were representing the Republic of Korea. “It was really interesting to see so many teenagers represent countries’ views that were not their own,” noted MND Model UN Moderator and social studies teacher Mrs. Susan Magnus of Symmes Township. “Now they think of the possibilities of living and working abroad, not just traveling.”
What makes the BERMUN Conference so impressive is the prestigious speakers with whom the student-delegates were able to meet. This year, the current Acting-Assistant Secretary for Political Military Affairs, a career diplomat, and former Model UN participant, addressed the participants. The students also heard from the General Coordinator of the Palestinian Youth Movement and the Israeli Ambassador to Germany on the issue of Palestine.
This experience not only enlightened the students on some of the world’s toughest issues and how other countries address those issues, but it also provided the young women of MND with life-long leadership skills. MND senior, Riley Vollmer of Milford, was chosen to make a speech on the environmental situation in Saudi Arabia. Riley represented MND well as she spoke with intelligence and poise in front of an audience of 750.
The trip to Berlin was an incredibly enriching experience for the students who were able to attend the BERMUN. Before the session began, the girls were able to take an expansive tour of Berlin. The three-and-one-half-hour walking tour of the city brought the girls to Hitler’s Bunker, the Berlin Wall, the Holocaust Memorial, the Symphony house and more. In a journal she kept during her trip, MND senior Julie Altimier of Miami Township wrote, “I still can’t believe I’m actually here! I’m here with my best friends experiencing one of the best times in my life!”
The interactions with the other delegates from around the world was just as educational as anything learned in a classroom. Ms. Altimier wrote, “I met a girl from Paris and two girls from Russia. They were so nice and wanted to know everything about America! Everyone has been so welcoming and friendly. I think it is so cool that we are all from around the world, but we all still connect.”
Understanding the inter-connectedness of what has become a shrinking world plays a large part in the MND experience. “Several years ago, when Mount Notre Dame revised our mission statement, we emphasized empowering our young women to ‘live, lead and serve in an ever-changing global society,’” said MND President Sr. Rita Sturwold, SNDdeN, of Reading. Model UN, a Spanish Exchange Program and a partnership with a high school in Kosovo are just a few of the ways Mount Notre Dame is living that part of its mission.
MND’s Model UN program has grown significantly over the last few years and is looking forward to two more exciting conferences. One will be held at the University of Chicago and the other at the University of New York. The New York event will be an international conference, similar to the experience in Berlin. “Because of her scholarly approach to teaching social studies and her own passion for world affairs, Mrs. Sue Magnus has done a wonderful job of exposing our students to the important work of the UN and the complexity of the issues the delegates face,” said Sturwold.
In the whirlwind of the trip to Germany, MND’s students still took the time to reflect and truly appreciate their experience and its impact. Upon reflecting on her time in Berlin, Ms. Vollmer wrote, “The city of Berlin is filled with possibilities. You can feel it all around you. The BERMUN conference is not only a mock-debate group. It is also a way to discover and believe in yourself in an environment that embraces intelligence. This has been such a powerful experience for us all and one I wouldn’t trade for the world.”
Written By: clehrter
Date Posted: 1/4/2010 2:23 PM
Number of Views: 8336
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