On Thursday and Friday, March 9-10, Hope College will sponsor its 28th annual Model United Nations Conference.  More than 950 students and faculty from   approximately 40 high schools will be participating.

          Acting as delegates from the 189 member nations of
  the United Nations in two General Assemblies, seven Security
  Councils, one International Court of Justice (ICJ), and two
  Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) Commissions, the
  students will be taking part in simulated exercises focusing
  on significant international issues.
          Among the issues to be discussed are Population
  Control; Budget Issues; IMF/World Bank Reform; Chemical and
  Biological Weapons; the Former Yugoslavia; Indonesia; Sudan;
  India/Pakistan; Colombian Drug Lords; a historical crisis,
  Congo in 1960; Promotion of World Trade; and Status of Women
  in the World.  The International Court of Justice simulation
  will be addressing the issue of the United States v.
  Yugoslavia.
          Model United Nations is designed to give high
  school students an opportunity to take on the roles of
  professional diplomats with the goal of achieving a
  particular country's national objectives while fostering a
  desired international consensus for real solutions to
  questions facing them.  The department of political science
  at Hope sponsors the event.
          Participating students have been working with
  their high school advisors for several weeks in preparation
  for the conference, and have been identifying the current
  issue positions of countries they are representing.  During
  the conference, they will share knowledge with their peer
  delegates, striving to attain solutions to international
  problems.
          ECOSOC, Security Council and ICJ members begin
  their sessions on Thursday evening, continuing all day
  Friday.  General Assembly members arrive on Friday morning,
  debating throughout the day.
          In addition to their sessions, ECOSOC, Security
  Council and ICJ members also attend a banquet featuring a
  guest speaker.  This year's speaker is Dr. Annie G.
  Dandavati, associate professor of political science at Hope.
  Dandavati has published a book and articles on women's
  issues, and will be discussing "Third World Women and
  Development Issues."
          The Hope College Model United Nations is organized
  by students in a political science course aimed at the
  understanding of international politics and the United
  Nations' role in international disputes.  The Hope students
  serve as session chairs and perform other administrative
  tasks throughout the formation and execution of the event.
          The co-secretary-generals of this year's
  conference are junior Paul Bush, a political science major
  from St. Louis, Mo., and junior Louis Canfield, a political
  science major from Whitehall.  The under-secretary general
  is sophomore Matt Scogin, a political science major from
  Portage.
          Chris Lowe, a senior from Okemos, and Jim Plasman,
  a freshman from Downers Grove, Ill., are the directors of
  the General Assemblies.  Beth Kilgore, a sophomore from
  Byron Center, and Jessica Zimbelman, a junior from Stanton,
  are the Security Council directors.  Tim Hoebeke, a senior
  from Grand Rapids, is the director of ECOSOC, while the
  International Court of Justice is directed by senior Emily
  DuBois of Eaton Rapids.
          Students involved in the General Assemblies are
  the following:  senior Mike Adamski of Hudsonville; freshman
  Lisa Hardy of Midland; junior John McDonald of Grand Rapids;
  junior Jon Plummer of Traverse City; sophomore Ed Rangler of
  Centreville; sophomore Nick Reister of Mason; and junior
  Kate Sutton of DeWitt.
          Participating in the Security Council sessions
  are:  sophomore Linden Crockett of Battle Creek; sophomore
  Aaron DeVos of Grand Rapids; senior Ross Howell of Mt.
  Pleasant; junior Radoslav Iliev of Bulgaria; freshman
  Muhammad Karimuddin of Pakistan; sophomore Elizabeth
  Schofield of Niles; freshman Elisabeth van Houwelingen of
  Traverse City; and freshman Emily Ward of Ionia.
          ECOSOC participants are the following:  sophomore
  Ruth Cortright of Fennville; freshman Jason Dunn of
  Cedarville; sophomore Brooke Peterson of Traverse City; and
  sophomore Amber Vredevoogd of Wyoming.
          International Court of Justice participants are:
  sophomore Leiah DeVito of Okemos and junior Leif Sporck of
  Suttons Bay.
          Dr. Jack Holmes and Dr. Joel Toppen of the
  political science faculty served as faculty advisors for the
  students.  Toppen also served as a faculty advisor for the
  ICJ.