University Advancement

Public Relations and Strategic Communications

NEWS RELEASE

Cal State Northridge’s Model U.N. Teams Earn National Spotlight

(NORTHRIDGE, Calif., Sept. 19, 2006) -- The tough work of preparing new generations of scholars to tackle the global concerns of the United Nations has brought honor to a Cal State Northridge course in applied diplomacy, candidly described as one of the "hardest and most demanding courses in the political science curriculum."

CSUN teams have won both the 2005 and 2006 Distinguished Delegation Awards--the second highest--at the annual international Model United Nations (MUN) competition in New York City, where they competed against 3,400 students from 250 colleges and universities.

During winter 2005 and spring 2006, CSUN’s MUN teams won four Distinguished Delegate Awards, six Outstanding Delegate Awards, a Research Award and two Position Paper Awards at local and regional competitions.

Under the aggressive four-year leadership of political science lecturer Peter Kappas, the "highly results-oriented" two-semester MUN course has earned a national reputation for producing CSUN teams and individual members who eat, sleep and dream world issues.

As a new semester begins, Kappas is on the lookout for topnotch recruits for the course, actually "equal to two or three courses." Though most have been political science majors, Kappas is eager to enlist inquisitive, dedicated students of any major.

"The course focuses on developing superior public speaking skills, negotiation skills and resolution writing skills," Kappas said, adding that many of its students go on to careers in law, public policy and foreign affairs. Each class is organized as a simulation of the real United Nations and conducted according to set rules of procedure.

Former MUN team member Brent Burpee, 2004 and 2005 Distinguished Delegate Award winner, considers the course well worth its demands on students’ time. "Research, writing and speaking skills, along with the ability to maintain confidence and leadership, are all very useful skills that will benefit me in law school," said the Washington University law student, also winner of the U.N. Association Southern California Model U.N. Student of the Year award in 2006.

During the academic year, the MUN teams compete in Anaheim and Long Beach, with voluntary competitions held in Las Vegas and Los Angeles. Team members are assigned a country and represent it within a simulated United Nations environment. The top students go on to the National Model U.N. conference in New York City, where the entire team is assigned one country or non-governmental organization that it represents in U.N. organs such as the General Assembly or Security Council.

Kappas was warned in advance by Political Science Department chair Matthew Cahn that his workload for the course would be formidable. "I had no idea," laughed Kappas, whose field is public policy and administration. "I knew nothing about the U.N.; I had to learn from scratch."

California State University, Northridge has 33,000 full- and part-time students and offers 62 bachelor’s and 50 master’s degrees as well as 28 teaching credential programs. Founded in 1958, CSUN is among the largest single-campus universities in the nation and the only four-year public university in the San Fernando Valley. The university serves as the intellectual, economic and cultural heart of the Valley and beyond.