Elizabethtown College Students Attend 2025 National Model United Nations Conference

A group of Elizabethtown College students recently traveled to the 2025 National Model United Nations (NMUN) Conference held in New York City from April 13 to 17. NMUN is one of the oldest and most prestigious national Model UN conferences in the U.S.

“Etown’s Educate for Service motto calls for using knowledge gained for helping others,” Political Science major Patrick Snyder ’26 said. “The UN essentially follows the same doctrine, using its facilities to help solve the issues plaguing the world. Acting as the UN for a week helped to reinforce that goal of benefiting others.”

Around 2,500 student delegations from around the world traveled to New York for the NMUN Conference. The closing ceremony was held at the UN General Assembly Hall of the UN Headquarters.

The group was made up of Elizabethtown College Professor of Political Science and Endowed Chair of International Studies, Oya Dursun-Ozkanca’s PS 332/INT 3332 Model United Nations class. In preparation for the conference, students studied the history and organizational structure of the UN, as well as the functions of its principal organs.

Students also delved into a detailed study of the history, government, economics, and the foreign policy of their assigned nation. This year at NMUN, Etown represented the Republic of Cyprus.

Each member of the delegation represented a diplomat from Cyprus in various committees. All eight members of the delegation sponsored draft resolutions that were adopted by their respective committees.

“This experiential learning opportunity provides all participants with a simulation of the negotiations that take place in the leading committees and principal organs of the UN and allows them to gain first-hand insight into UN’s decision-making procedures on a variety of topics ranging from environment to disarmament,” Dursun-Ozcanka said. “All of the students represented the College with such enthusiasm and dedication to negotiation, diplomacy, and peacemaking during this five-day conference.”

The members of Etown;’s delegation were Snyder, the Head Delegate, Political Science major Silje Lorentzen ’25, Political Science major Jordyn Dutko ’26, History and Political Science major Jacob Schuller ’26, International Business major Anthony Pittman ’27, Political Science and Japanese majors Laura (Lux) Hileman ’25, Public Health major Cassidy Rohrman ’25, and Political Science major Nicholas Wiley ’25.

“The most helpful part of this experience was that it forced me to work outside of my comfort zone,” Dutko said. “Being in a committee with over a hundred other delegates was initially quite intimidating, but in order to get the most out of the simulation, you have to get up and give speeches, find allies to work with, and stand up for your delegation’s priorities. Although it was challenging in the moment, it made all the hard work I put in over the five days of the conference all the more rewarding and fulfilling.”

Etown’s participation at the NMUN Conference was made possible through the financial support of the Center for Global Understanding and Peacebuilding (CGUP).