“Algerian” student team wins Model U.N. award

Patrick Murray Staff Writer

Vassar and Dutchess County Community College Students finally found something they have in common: Algeria. Last week students from both schools traveled to New York City to participate in the Model United Nations Conference where both groups, working together under the name The Hudson River Group, discussed, negotiated, and formulated policy as Algeria. Over five days the Hudson River Group met with 218 schools representing 193 countries and 25 non-government organizations (NGOs) and ultimately received the Most Distinguished Delegation Award for the second year in a row.

Formed in 1995 by Dutchess County Community College and Vassar College Political Science Professor Richard Reitano, the Hudson River Group brings students from both schools together once a week for a six-week intensive course leading up to the conference. While Reitano’s class began at the community college, he decided to offer it at Vassar when he noticed a growing interest in the Model UN. The course works to help blend the two schools together, as former student and teaching assistant Joe Wildfire ’05 explained, “It’s a group that wouldn’t usually bond, but put them through this course and they bond like you wouldn’t imagine.” Over the years the course has gained interest and funding from students and from administrators, and was cited in a study conducted by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching as a prime example of Political Science education. Fellow teaching assistant Andrew McCoughan said, “The course has gained popularity more and more each year. It’s a testament to the efficacy of the course, what students accomplish.”

The class requires students to assume the identity of a country in the U.N. and research its policies. “We have to become advocates of Algeria, we can’t be critical. We are Algerian diplomats and their policy is our policy,” said Wildfire. Along with intensive independent research, the class received help from the Algerian ambassador, who helped explain Algeria’s policies to the class. Reitano also focuses on teaching negotiation strategy and the art of diplomacy. Reitano said, “You have to be a good diplomat negotiator. We try to teach negotiation skills, compromise, and how to see the other side.” Eventually, the class breaks into pairs that represent Algeria at one of the 34 committees at the conference. Along with participating in the conference as Algeria, the Hudson River Group also helped tutor the Laguardia Community College in Queens and assisted their participation in this year’s conference as the Student World Assembly (an NGO).

While the class requires a considerable amount of research and preparation, the feeling from students is almost universal. Students work long hours together in the library, which, along with solidifying the student’s preparation, solidifies the class as a whole. Student Sophie Pickens ’07 said, “Every time you go in the library there’s two to ten people working constantly. We even had dinner last week [after the conference] because we missed each other so much.” McCaughan added, “When people talk about the course, its always prefaced with ‘It’s the most difficult course I’ve ever taken,’ but they eventually say ‘It’s the best course I’ve ever taken.’”

The conference occurs each year in March and hosts 248 different delegations from all over the world, including Iraq. Iraqi students paired with American students to form a delegation. Reitano, who has participated in the conference for over 20 years, noted, “That has never happened.” For four days, students sit together in committees to discuss three issues currently under discussion in the actual United Nations. Meetings vary in length and lead up to “Meltdown Thursday,” where committees meet for over ten hours. “It’s fun and it’s exhausting but it’s an amazing class and you’re really well prepared. I definitely came back [from the conference] and slept for hours,” Pickens said.

Reitano feels the most satisfaction in what occurs after the conference. Reitano said, “In some cases [the conference leads] to life-changing experiences. Students become lawyers, teachers, diplomats. We had two movie producers.” However, students also feel a much more immediate and local effect from the course. “You learn how to speak publicly, write essays and reports, write policy statements,” said Wildfire. “Now [students] will run for student government and feel comfortable talking to their professors. Because of this, students are not scared of Poughkeepsie.”