Rider University's Joseph Gallant of Wayne Leads 'Outstanding Delegation'

Rider University's Model United Nations Team received two top honors at the conclusion of the National Model United Nations Conference, held from March 28 through April 1, inside the U.N. headquarters in New York City. Joseph Gallant of Wayne, N.J., a senior Political Science major, served as one of the team leaders.

Representing Venezuela, the Rider delegation competed against more than 300 groups from American and international universities, and received the prestigious Outstanding Delegation award, the highest distinction a team can obtain.

There was Rider representation on several committees, including the General Assemblies, U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, International Atomic Energy Agency, Commission for Sustainable Development, and Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean. Partners on the committees were responsible for writing position papers defending their country's stance on three topics. The Rider students also received an Outstanding Position Paper recognition for the overall quality of the nine papers submitted by the team.

While the team met regularly as an evening class (POL 295 Special Project: National Model United Nations), the students also prepared and conducted extensive research outside of the classroom. Broad knowledge of a team's designated country is pivotal because its members must remain in character as delegates in order to be successful during committee meetings.

"We had to have a mindset of the socialist, anti-capitalist country. We were Venezuela. Our character as a nation was very aggressive in its beliefs and policies," Gallant said. "Throughout the whole case, we examined Venezuela's background – what it is, how it formed and the ideology of its leader, Hugo Chávez."

In February, the Rider team was able to meet German Mundarain, Venezuelan ambassador to the United Nations, in New York. It was the first time a Model U.N. Team from Rider was able to meet the ambassador of the country it was representing.

Now in its 43rd year, Rider's Model U.N. Team, under the advisement of Dr. Barbara Franz, associate professor of Political Science and director of the Area Studies Program, gives students a chance to experience how the United Nations handles and resolves world problems and issues. This year, Gallant and the team leaders selected 14 students out of a pool of 60 applicants.

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