Converse College - Model Programs

History and Politics
MODEL PROGRAMS: MODEL ARAB LEAGUE, MODEL NATO, AND MODEL EUROPEAN UNION
Converse has achieved national acclaim with its competitive simulations Model programs. Converse has won at the National Model Arab League (MAL) for ten consecutive years with victories in every regional competition during this span. In its first year of competition at Model NATO in 2005, Converse took Best Delegation at this event. In 2006 Converse will comprise the entire Secretariat and run Model NATO in Washington, DC. In the Models, students represent a country and represent that nation’s concerns and perspectives as they debate the issues of the specific region or constituency and write and pass relevant resolutions. Participants must develop thorough command of their nation’s position on all the issues. The talents for success include argumentation, negotiation, diplomatic, and consensus-building skills. Approximately 25-30 Converse students compete annually in the various Models. The following are a small sample of the past year’s stars.

Politics and accounting major, Josie Fingerhut was co-head delegate of the Converse MAL and Model NATO delegations. A four-year member of the program, her credits include Best Chair, Assistant Secretary-General, and Secretary-General at the National MAL. Josie traveled to Amman, Jordan during the summer of 2004 as a consultant to plan the Amman Model Arab League program for high school students in the region. She was co-recipient of the Valerie Brock Model Arab League Award in 2005.

Politics and theater major, Libby Long, a four-year member, served as co-head delegate. A star debater, Libby consistently won Outstanding Delegate Awards for four years in MAL and the top award in her first year in Model NATO. Libby studied Arabic in Morocco, helped run the Amman MAL in 2005, and worked in an orphanage in Ghana during the summer of 2004. She was the recipient of the American Legion Award, the James F. Byrnes Politics Award, and the Anna Klepczynski Model Arab League Award in 2005.

History major Danielle Romano, a two-year member of MAL, received an Outstanding Delegate Award for debate in her first year before moving to chair positions. During her senior year, she won the Best Chair in all three models in which she participated. Danielle also traveled to Jordan to run the Amman MAL. Danielle received the Nathaniel F. Magruder History Award and was co-recipient of the Valerie Brock Model Arab League Award in 2005.

Junior politics major Holly Jordan served as the Chief Justice of the Arab Court of Justice at the Southeast MAL in 2005 and will serve as the Chief Justice at both the Southeast and National MALs in 2006. She will also serve as the Chief Justice of the European Union Court at Model European Union in Fall 2005. She is the Secretary-General of Model NATO in 2006, and won a fellowship to a seminar on NATO issues among the new member nations held in Reykjavik, Iceland, during June 2005.

Junior politics and economics major Tina Rohner has been a consistent Outstanding Delegate Award winner in Model MAL. In 2006 she will serve as head delegate of both the Model European Union and Model NATO delegations. In Model Europe Union she will represent her native Germany. Tina traveled to the United Arab Emirates and Oman during the summer of 2004 under a Nisbet Honors Program Summer Research Fellowship to study the changing roles of Arab women in these countries. She has a fellowship to study at Georgetown University during summer 2005. Tina is the #1 singles player on the Converse tennis team.

Freshman accounting and business major, Kelsey Nichols won Best Delegate Awards at both the Northeast MAL in Boston and the National MAL in Washington, DC during her freshman year, an unprecedented achievement. She is a recipient of a South Carolina Independent Colleges and Universities Summer Research Fellowship for summer 2005. With this funding she will study the Montagnard refugees who have settled in the Spartanburg and Charlotte communities.