Media Release

For Immediate Release

January 31, 2008

To the members of the United Nations, we represent Chad

Students from Saint Mary’s University who will be participating in two Model United Nations conferences this semester now have their fundraising campaign up and running in full force.

Eighteen students from the Saint Mary’s University Model United Nation’s Society (SMUMUNS) will venture off to the United Nations (UN) Conference in Ottawa, ON from March 8 to 11. And from April 22 to 26, they will all be in New York City, NY to participate in the world’s largest-level simulation of the United Nations.

“The financial resources required is steep because of the size of our delegation, but we are all working together to make it happen,” says Lorah Jensen, President of SMUMUNS.

“We have several fundraising initiatives in the works like bake sales, coat check at the campus pub, exclusive benefit nights at popular Halifax venues, silent auctions, yard sales, and an intensive letter writing campaign,” she says.

At the Model United Nations Conference in New York, Saint Mary’s will represent Chad, a developing nation in central Africa.

According to Jensen, the SMU team will be researching the history, culture and policy of Chad. Their primary goal is to gain intimate knowledge of the country and how it relates to the international community and then put the information they have studied to practical use in a simulation of the UN.

“These experiences are most valuable to our education and will help in developing our leadership skills,” she says. “Participating in both conferences will enable us to further our education as we learn about international organizations and foreign policy in a real world setting that can not be taught in the classroom.”

The team’s goal this year is simple: win awards.

“The last SMUMUNS group to participate brought home the Outstanding Delegate Award. Our intent is to bring home even more awards,” she says.

“Saint Mary’s is one of the strongest and most comprehensive universities in Canada and has a history of producing great leaders and projecting graduates into very successful careers. As a society formed by well-prepared, mature and enthusiastic students, SMUMUNS will approach the conferences with professionalism and a shared commitment to represent the Saint Mary’s University student body with pride,” she adds.

For those interested in supporting SMUMUNS, please contact Kaitlyn Sawyer, Vice President, SMUMUNS, at (902) 405-9753, or email kaitlyn.sawyer@smu.ca

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For More Information:

Paul Fitzgerald
Public Affairs Officer
Saint Mary's University, Public Affairs
(902) 420.5514
E-mail: paul.fitzgerald@smu.ca
www.smu.ca