Academically, I was able to further my public speaking skills as well as my ability to lobby, debate and negotiate with hostile adversaries and those with similar interests. Also, I was able to gain a further knowledge of middle-eastern cultures, specifically those of Jordan and its allies. I learned quite a bit of time management skills, as well as group dynamics and interpersonal communications.

As always, I am nearly speechless upon returning from our competition in New York. It has been an amazing experience, again. I seriously had doubts that it could get better than last year’s team experience, yet it did. I cannot put in words how great a feeling it was to lead such an amazing, dynamic team to victory in New York. I am eternally proud of Team 2000, and I will remember this year as one of my greatest achievements and experiences while an undergraduate student at Rider University. In past years, we had felt robbed when we put forth tremendous effort to no recognition.

I wish I could share with everyone how nervous I truly was at the awards ceremony at the end of this year’s competition. I just could not handle going through the ceremony and not winning after all our team had achieved this year. I knew before we even left for New York that if ever, this was the award winning team. Our week in New York was a lot of late nights, and many strategic planning sessions between myself and each committee. We spent hours planning speeches and caucusing strategies, I not only worked hard in my committee, but spent most after hours working hard with everyone else for their respective committees. I saw first and how great our team was, and just could not handle sitting through another award ceremony and being overlooked.

I sat with the team nervously trying to think of ways to console everyone when we didn’t win. We got through honorable mention without winning, I got even more nervous. Then they went through the list of Distinguished Delegations, Rider was not mentioned, I was disheartened. Then, the last Distinguished Delegation award was called, it was Rider University, we all stared at each other in disbelief for a good minute. Someone grabbed my shoulder and asked if I was going up to get the award, I could not control how amazing it felt. We were at an emotional high I cannot even begin to explain. We went out to dinner that evening, celebrating probably what every team member present felt that evening, a feeling I know they, like myself, will never forget.

Fatisha Hobbs, Junior, Political Science major: Assistant Leader; Second-year member, General Assembly Fourth Committee:

As a second year member of Rider’s National Model United Nations (NMUN) program, I can say that NMUN seems to get better every year. The various preparations that are required for our competition in New York are well worth it. The excitement and sense of accomplishment that students feel in the end, makes NMUN the best learning experience that I have ever had. With constant effort, students can achieve multiple things from the NMUN experience (i.e. increased self-esteem, public speaking skills, increased knowledge, and awards). When it comes to NMUN, the sky is the limit.

The NMUN experience also offers students a chance to broaden their horizons. You meet so many people, especially your teammates, who possess different personalities, cultures, races and religions. Therefore, you learn to become tolerant and appreciative of people who are different from you. Learning about different countries in the world also gives students the opportunity to open their minds to many areas of life.

My year 2000 NMUN experience was magnificent! All of the team’s hard work and effort paid off in the end when we brought home the Distinguished Delegation award. It feels great to go out into the world and represent your university in such a positive way. The Rider NMUN family is one of the best families a student can have away from home.

Nargis Afzal, Sophomore, Political Science: Assistant Leader, second-year member, Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations:

I was able to gain a lot more factual knowledge about Jordan, itself, and the Middle East, in general. I also gained in depth background of peacekeeping operations, how they are financed and the conflicts between member states concerning these issues. I learned that line between state sovereignty and humanitarian intervention is an extremely sensitive issue and has divided people over what should be done. I also met all sorts of cool people from all over the world and exchanged e-mail addresses so I have some contacts for the future.

Ashaah Balkhi, Freshman, Chemistry, first-year member: Organization of the Islamic Conference

The knowledge I learnt during preparation for the NMUN, I could immediately apply in other courses. I also developed my extempore thought process. Previously, I could not present many ideas until I had had ample time to prepare them. And initially this had been one of the challenges MUN simulations presented, but by the time we got to New York I preferred extempore speech-giving to structured. This has helped me while participating in class discussion and similar activities. Also resolution writing has helped to keep in check my tendency to be verbose, and has helped me write concisely as well. I have also enhanced my teamwork skills, and that is also a great asset for other academic course work related projects.

The most beneficial skill I acquired was public speaking. I learnt to express myself confidently and effectively. My participation in NMUN also gave me the confidence to be more expressive and it taught me to have deeper faith in myself. I also had the opportunity to closely interact with a diverse group of people, in both Rider's Team 2000 and my committee in New York and I formed meaningful networks from both groups.

Words could not do justice to the 2000 NMUN experience. The only way one can fully realize the depth of it is by experiencing it. It is an experience that involves and affects all spheres of life, more and more in proportion to how much of yourself you give to it. I could not claim to list all the diverse skills and lessons I acquired from this one semester of experience with the NMUN. The ramifications of the experience are an ongoing result that surprise me everyday.

Whenever I think about my all my academic and co-curricular achievements, that were recognized by awards, the Distinguished Delegation award stands out. No matter how many times I look at it, the sense of utter accomplishment and honest pride I feel does not fade. It was an award fully earned, and makes the entire team earnestly proud. It is an honor to share the credit between all team members. This was one of the few team experiences where all team members were fully cooperative and became friends by the end of the conference.

Ryan Bernardini, Sophomore, Finance major, Political Science minor: First-year member, General Assembly Plenary:

I learned so much about other nations and how their governments and economies work. I learned about many problems that are going around in the world and how it affects all of us. I learned about many of the leaders of nations and even learned about countries I never heard of before. Overall I gained a wealth of knowledge that no other course or experience could offer.

I learned so much about other people from different nations. But, not from a book or a professor, just from interacting with these people on a regular basis. First, just from the simulations and then from actually from New York. New York was like a cultural trip for me. I enjoyed talking to people from Italy and Germany on regular basis. When we were not in committee, I was able to speak to these people about their countries. It was educational, but at the same time very interesting to see how people from other countries view the United States and Americans.

I can’t say enough about my NMUN experience. It has definitely been one of the best experiences of my life. I feel like I have gained so much from it, not just academically. I was able to meet people from all over the world, who look different from me, and who speak all kinds of languages. I was able to represent a very unique and strong nation. Throughout the week representing Jordan I felt like a real Jordanian. I felt like it was my responsibility to make sure Jordan was properly represented and things were done in the best interest of the Jordanian people. Even though it was a large responsibility I enjoyed it and took it on with care. The people I have met and the things I have seen will never leave me. I thank Steve, my partner, for his support and help to make me the best possible delegate. I also thank Dr. Phan for his intelligence, wisdom, and thoughtfulness in everything he did throughout the year. This experience and these people have made an impact on my life that I will carry with me forever.

Jennyfer Dulyx, Junior, Political Science and Psychology major: First-year member, Women 2000:

I learned to organize a great amount of information in a concise and clear manner, which has always been a challenge in the past for me. My understanding of politics, mostly international politics has improved tremendously. I read a newspaper now and make connections that I wouldn't have been able to make before.

While socializing with others I am more confident in my discussions on foreign political topics, I take even a greater interest than before, and appreciate better the knowledge or expertise of someone else's on the issues that I read about in the course. I am no longer afraid to make a speech, and I look forward to be in a situation where I have great responsibilities.

The course is awesome in the way it taught me about so many countries and different issues in such a practical manner. Suddenly, world poverty, peace settlement and women's rights were no longer abstract thoughts. I learned about the political stand of countries which I knew little about, which forced me to be aware of the rest of the world and coerced me to notice small countries that are often neglected in the news. I now am able to make connections between the media news and what I was reading in class. But besides all of this, the best part of the course is the trip to New York. This has been one of the greatest experiences of my life. I became assertive and confident. I learned to notice opportunities and take advantage of them. I was proud of what I was doing. I was generous with compliments and encouragement because everywhere I looked, there was someone who was working hard to achieve a common goal. I would be honored to participate in next year's MUN event. The friendships that have formed were strong and the warmth shared very special.

Natasha Gwira, Junior, Political Science and Multicultural Studies major: First-year member, Women 2000:

Overall, my MUN experience was positive. One never realizes how beneficial a single experience will be until you pass through it. So it was with MUN 2000. Looking back I realize that going to New York has caused tremendous academic as well as personal growth to my person. I am certainly a better, if not less nervous public speaker than I was before MUN. Also, I now know how to research foreign policy topics for just about any nation in the world. In addition, because I was exposed to such a diverse group of team members, I really believe that I can just about get along with anyone from any background, ethnicity or culture. The bond that MUN allowed me to form with my teammates will last forever. I also got the chance to practice all that I learned from the months of practice simulations in New York and it really paid off. Whilst other delegations made simple and serious flaws in New York, Jordan was calm and confident. I have made contacts with people from all over the world, including Germany, Canada and Japan. I also have MUN friends in California, Louisiana, Texas, Florida and New York. It was truly a positive experience all the way round and I hope to get the opportunity to be on team 2001 next year.

Augustus Herring, Junior, Advertising/Marketing major: First-year member, Human Settlements:

I think overall, my already existing academic habits were actually reinforced. I learned new concepts and theories about international relations and that only added to the existing knowledge based on my experiences and other global business classes. I learned how to appreciate the "team" concept more and I learned about good leadership and motivation from our team members.

This is truly one of those experiences you do not fully realize the growth until you are finished with it. Model UN ranks high on my list of learning concepts that I enjoyed the most in my college career. How many times can a person say they had the opportunity to combine learning academics, interpersonal skills, negotiation skills, competition experience and real friendship with others involved? Not many times, but in NMUN, the real sentiment exists that you will leave the programs with more skills and abilities than you will ever imagine. For all the students out there, take this chance, and believe me when I say you will truly enjoy and appreciate it for the rest of you lives.

Karin Hoelbling, Exchange student from the University of Graz, Austria: First-year member, Special Committee on Peacekeeping Operations

I did not only improve my speaking skills and start to feel more comfortable speaking in front of a large audience. I also learned to deal with very different people and to work efficiently in a team and I improved my ability to persuade people of a common goal. What’s more, I got better at dealing with huge amounts of information and filtering the most important issues out of them.

I learned much more than I had expected about different cultures existing within the United States. I enjoyed it very much to work with such a diverse group of people. Moreover, I made contacts with students from other universities, especially from Germany, and got to know very interesting people.

MUN was a great and unique experience for me. I learned a lot about other people’s different cultural backgrounds. But I also learned a lot about myself, how I react in situations of stress and when speaking in front of large crowds of people. I would love to do it again.

Michael Lind, Exchange student from the University of Graz, Austria: First-year member, Commission of Human Settlements:

I think the scope is very broad: researching skills, negotiating skills, speaking skills, confidence in my English, being more flexible, working under pressure especially time pressure, working in a group.

NMUN was an amazing project for me - it was definitely the greatest experience during my year at Rider University. It was valuable in both academic and non-academic realms. I learned a lot about different countries, cultures, negotiating, speaking and so on. And what is probably even more important:  I became friend with great people, whom I will never forget.

Nehal Mehta, First-year member, UN Conference on Trade and Development:

One of the greatest academic benefits I gained is public speaking. Every simulation we did improved my speaking abilities further. This is unlike speaking in any other class because the types of speeches are persuasive as well as informative. Researching a new country every week and being able to give that country’s position as well as sway the other delegates to conform to that country’s beliefs takes a certain kind of public speaking ability. I feel that I have been able to master my skills in public speaking. Also, speaking in front of a classroom of even 30 students does not compare to the exposure I gained from speaking in front of 300 delegates in New York.

Another academic benefit is that of learning the general political, cultural and demographic information of the world all in one semester. During simulations, I was exposed to the positions of most countries regarding specific issues. This type of learning I have yet to uncover in any other academic setting.

One of the major non-academic benefits is just being in the presence of so many students who are at the conference. There were international students and students from different backgrounds and it was interesting to get to know them. Students at the conference came from every corner of the world, and it fascinated me to watch how they worked in the committee. Their styles, manners, speaking abilities were so different from mine, and getting a glimpse of that was truly an honor.

NMUN proved to be the most enriching experience of my studies at Rider University. The thrill could be compared to the year I spent on study abroad, although the only difference is that NMUN conference takes place over five days as opposed to the study abroad being for one year. Team members feel so many emotions. Initially everyone is a bit overwhelmed by the number of people, next comes the frustration in our committees, and it all pays off for the last emotion—a sense of accomplishment.

Janelle K. Michalesko, Senior, Global Business/Economics/Finance major: First-year member, United Nations Conference on Trade and Development:

The benefits I derived from participation in the NMUN were immense! First, I learned how to do much better, thorough research. Second, I was able to gain a larger understanding of what research one would need, what to look for, where to go. Third, (most valuable) I was able to put to use all of the knowledge from classes before and presently and use this to understand the issues.

Listening became an important benefit that I refined more. Not listening to what one necessarily said, but to what one wanted to gain, where the speech was going, what the country’s stand was, and the means of achieving and maintaining this approach. I learned to make better speeches, quicker—to say what needed to be said in as little words as possible, but still able to get the point across. Also, with speeches, I was able to gather my thoughts quicker and speak better on an impromptu situation. I learned strategy, which often helped to prepare oneself beforehand, to evaluate the contenders and see if they had any points in common with mine. I gained friendship with a wonderful group of people and a superb teacher.

I have been in competitions and clubs for sewing and quilting for the some part of my life. I find that this experience is similar to one that I had several years back. I and several others, were making a quilt for an event, it was to be in a competition and it was a difficult design to master. Each of us worked on a part of the quilt. With competitions, one aspect they grade upon is whether the quilt is collectively done the same…. I see Model UN, for me, as 14 other people working on their specific squares which will be put together for a quilt and then the quilt, judged for quality, collective unity, ability, creativity, and overall accomplishment. These 14 other people, must instill in each of the others preparing the quilt, trust, faith, enthusiasm, participation and the desire to achieve success.

I believe that in our Model UN group, the quilt we have made together is one which could verifiably win any competition; for our strengths are great and we have learned through each other the very special and rare ability of becoming and remaining a team.

Ceaneh Jacqueline Mulbah, Computer & Information Systems & Business Economics: First-year member, World Summit for Social Development + 5:

The academic benefits gained from the NMUN experience cannot be gained through any class here at Rider. I learned a lot about other countries, their cultures and political setup. I even discovered countries I didn’t know even existed. I became knowledgeable about a wide range of topics. My public speaking and research abilities have been fine-tuned. The benefits from this class will be with me for years to come.

All the non-academic benefits derived from this class cannot be listed in one answer. First and foremost I have learned a lot about myself and about abilities I had buried that I didn’t know existed. I had the opportunity to work with a wonderful group of people and have learned the real meaning of team spirit and working towards a common goal. I have learned how to interact with people of different cultures. I think that I am still learning about some the benefits gained from this class as I go about in life. When I enter the real world, I know I will look back and think what an experience!

This NMUN experience has been the most rewarding and exhilarating experience I have been through. It has been valuable to me in so many ways that words cannot even begin to describe. I have learned a lot about myself and of life as a whole. I got the chance to interact with people of diverse cultures and backgrounds. I feel privileged to have been part of the 2000 NMUN Team and to help carry on the Rider tradition. What made this year even more special is that we won an award. It gives me a strong sense of accomplishment that cannot be put into words. Aside from the numerous benefits, I got to work with a wonderful group of people and by the end of the semester we were like a family. This is an experience I will treasure forever.

Atul Sharma, Junior, Finance/CIS major: First year member, World Summit for Social Development + 5:

One of the most important academic benefits that I derived from the MUN experience was a way to correctly search for important information in a small amount of time. I also learned how to speak much better in large groups of people, and speak more effectively in small groups.

The non-academic benefits that I derived from the MUN experience were being able to distance my academics from my social life. I think this was exemplified when in delegation meetings, a delegate and I would debate about certain issues, and after the meeting was over I was able to let go of the argument and deal with the person as another human as opposed as another delegate.

The 2000 NMUN experience is probably one of a very few things that I will never forget in my lifetime, because of all the experience and knowledge that this class has afforded me. I would recommend the Model United Nations course to anyone, because of all I have learned and experienced from this course. A few things that this course has taught me are an enhanced sense of team work, being able to rely on others, better public speaking skills, and the ability to do in-depth research in a fairly short amount of time (and being able to formulate that research into persuasive speeches). I am grateful that I was able to be on the 2000 NMUN team, and I hope that I will able to continue to be on the team next year.

Andrew Wong, Sophomore, Finance, CIS major: First-year member, General Assembly Fourth Committee \:

I learned many positions of many States and how those positions would be expressed. I have experienced first hand of a glimpse of how
intricate United Nations is. I am more informed on many global issues that I was not aware of before. Other benefits I have gained are my speaking skills and politicking skills. I have learned to organize my thoughts better, and to formulate that into a concise and organized speech. I have improved in my confidence, which in turn improve my articulation and speaking skills in general.

I learned how to negotiate with other people by understanding their needs and finding a middle ground. I had to communicate with them in a manner for them to want to make compromises with me. For example, in New York I had to continually show other delegates that I was willing to work with them and not to seem that I had my own agenda or that I my view points were the only view points. I learn how to better work with people, while convincing them that we are all working for one goal. Then putting that in writing, in a form of a working paper.

This was one of my most enriching and fulfilling experiences. I learned more than I expected to. The information and experience I have gained from this class is unmatched from any other class I have taken or expect to take here at Rider. The team was an outstanding team who worked extremely well together. This class was worth the extra work and dedication because as much as I put it, I received ten fold back. I attribute a great deal of my enjoyment and learning based on how well the team worked together both in New York and in class.