This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Northeastern chapter.
The International Model NATO conference is a four-day event for college students to debate the same issues facing the real NATO. Students test research and public speaking skills, diplomacy, resolution writing, creative problem-solving, and their ability to assume the character and policy of another nation. The conference is broken into the North Atlantic Council, Defense Planning, Political Affairs, the Nuclear Planning Group and the Euro-Atlantic Partnership. Northeastern students started preparing in September for the competition, and represented the United Kingdom, which came in 1st, and Lithuania, which came in 5th. Additionally, students from both Northeastern teams won all of the Committee Leadership Awards.
Beyond the standard agenda of topics for debate, the group faces current real-world crises, like the violence in Syria and the possibility of Iran closing the Strait of Hormuz, which would jeopardize the world’s oil supply. This is only the second year the team, fielded from the International Relations Council at NU has been involved in Model NATO, but it has been a competitive team in Model UN and Model Arab League competitions for decades under the direction of Advisor Dr. Phil D’Agati, an adjunct faculty member of the Political Science Department who teaches the corresponding courses of the same name.
Feel free to check out the group Tuesday nights at 5:15 in 135 Shillman Hall!
All photos are courtesy of Northeastern’s NATO team members.