Challenge - Spring/Summer 2012 - Tiffin University

School of Criminal Justice &
Social Sciences
24 | SPRING / SUMMER 2012 | CHALLENGE
Students Represent TU at Model NATO
Conference
By TU Student Katherine Fairhurst
For the past four years, members of Tiffin University’s Global
Affairs Organization (GAO) have represented the university
at the annual Model NATO Conference in Washington, D.C.
Participation in Model NATO is one of the major highlights of
the GAO’s activities.
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization, or NATO, is a
military alliance of 28 nations with a
number of partnerships with other
nations, and it stands as a central international
institution that continues
to transform and address the needs
of the current international scene.
Model NATO offers students an
exciting opportunity for experiential
learning and professional development.
The annual conference
brings together not only students
from many different U.S. collegiate
institutions, but also from Canada
and Europe.
Each school represents a different NATO member nation
at the conference. TU students represent Estonia, a small
Eastern European country that borders Russia. In preparation
for the conference, students visit the embassy of the country
they represent. This affords students the opportunity to gain
first-hand knowledge about the foreign policy interests of a
country. This year’s visit to the Estonian embassy in Washington,
D.C. was particularly beneficial to TU’s Model NATO
team, as many important issues were raised, and the visit
fostered a better understanding of the role we would play at
Model NATO.
Model NATO was hosted by Howard University, Kent
State University, and Converse College. The conference
began with opening remarks and a keynote address by Antonella
Cerasino, Head of NATO’s Public Diplomacy Division,
Countries Section. The North Atlantic Council successfully
reached consensus and passed the final communique, which
is the product of the hard work of every student involved in
the simulation.
Tiffin University is fortunate to offer students the opportunity
to experience the NATO simulation, and Model NATO
grants students exposure that not many schools enjoy.
Participation offers students the chance to expand
their leadership and public speaking skills, to learn about the
inner workings of NATO as an organization and international
alliance, and to practice diplomacy, decision-making, and
negotiation. NATO is built around the concept of consensus,
and the simulation pushes students to discuss current issues
and to develop agreeable solutions. Model NATO also gives
students exposure to individuals who might help shape their
futures.
The GAO has taken great strides since its establishment,
and the student members welcome
support as they seek to advance the
organization’s interest in fostering
an increased awareness of our role
in the international context. The
organization’s student members
anticipate continued growth and participation
in the annual International
Model NATO conference, and they
hope to pursue involvement in other
conferences in the near future, such
as Model United Nations. Those of
Katherine Fairhurst us who participated in Model NATO
this year are very proud of what we
accomplished and believed we gained invaluable professional
development by being a part of the experience.
Editor’s Note: Katherine, class of 2012, dreams of a job in
hostage negotiation and wants to help people in the field
of national security and criminal justice. Her hometown is
Dayton, Ohio, and her major was Government & National
Security.