Morehead State students participate in Model UN Conference  

Morehead State University students participated in the 44th Annual Model United Nations Conference held Nov. 2-4 at the University of Louisville. Sponsored by the Indiana Consortium of International Programs, the event brought students from six universities in Kentucky and Indiana to simulate the United Nations Security Council.  

Students who attended include: 

• Carter Abshire (senior history/political science major, Ashland) 
• Taylor Bishop (junior history major, Greensburg) 
• Rexford Castle (junior political science major, Paintsville) 
• Bryce Fletcher (junior history major, Warfield) 
• Calleigh Gray (sophomore political science major, Elizabethtown) 
• Peyton McWilliams (sophomore political science major, Hendersonville) 
• Nathaniel Walden (senior history/political major, Lexington) 

Bishop won first place as the top member of his council meeting and the top diplomat, based on votes by fellow council members. Walden won the third-place award in his council.  

Issues discussed over the three-day event included: 

• The Israeli-Palestinian conflict 
• Russia-Ukraine war 
• Haiti 
• The peacekeeping situation in Niger 

The students had a particular responsibility given to all Model UN meetings on how countries should address the plight of Internally Displaced Persons.  

"This is a great opportunity for our students to learn more about conflict across the world and how countries try to work together to solve it," said Dr. Jason M. Adkins, co-advisor to Model UN and assistant professor of political science. "I am also proud of the hard work the students put in, and it showed with the awards two of them came home with."   

Dr. James Masterson, chair of the Department of History, Philosophy, Politics, Global Studies and Legal Studies and associate professor of political science, also served as co-advisor.  

"Model events like UN and EU provide students in all majors in our department with active learning opportunities to engage with students from other universities to work towards the common interests found among the nations they represent," Masterson said. "After studying deeply about their assigned country students are well equipped to work their negotiating tactics and diplomatic skills to draft resolutions that can be passed within the framework of the particular institution. All of the student delegates have found these activities enjoyable and worthy of their time."  

Morehead State University also plans to participate in the Model European Union meeting from April 13 to April 15 at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana.  

For more information on Model UN or Model EU, please contact Dr. Adkins at jm.adkins@moreheadstate.edu. Students from all majors are welcome to participate.  

For more information on MSU's Department of History, Philosophy, Politics, Global Studies and Legal Studies programs, contact hgpl@moreheadstate.edu or 606-783-2655.  

Photo: Morehead State faculty and students attended the 44th Annual Model United Nations Conference held Nov. 2-4 at the University of Louisville. Pictured, from left to right, are Dr. James Masterson, Carter Abshire, Rexford Castle, Bryce Fletcher, Nathaniel Walden, Taylor Bishop, Peyton McWilliams, Calleigh Gray, and Dr. Jason M. Adkins.