November 2, 2007
Issue 1
Welcome to the Conference
Welcome to Model United
Nations 2007! I know that it is
going to be better than ever. The
press corps will be doing its best to
keep you, the delegates, informed
of all the news at the conference. I
am hoping that we will raise more
money for Plan Padrino that we
ever have! I also hope everyone
tried to purchase a bus and elevator
pass. These passes allow individuals to get on the bus before everyone else and to take the elevator up
to your room before anyone else.
Hopefully waiting for an elevator
will not be a pain anymore! Also,
no more waiting to load a bus! We
have six buses this year, which
should also help to alleviate some
waiting. The best thing about these
passes is that the money is going toward Plan Padrino and the Youth in
Government scholarship fund. For
those of you attending Model UN
for the first time, I hope you enjoy
the conference. Try not to be too
nervous or stressed out, but if you
are, just remember that you are not
the only one. The conference is a
time to learn how the United Na-
Staff
Editor &
Producer
you are not stressed out, but if you
are, just remember that you are not
the only one. The conference is a
time to learn how the United Nations really works, real problems
going on around the world, and to
meet many new people. Hopefully,
everyone will make new friendships
that will last for a very long time.
It is so exciting to know that so
many school kids are interested in
the United Nations. At least we will
know what is going on in the world
around us even if no one else does.
Also, remember that everyone can
order pizza. When you get to your
room about 11:00, you may want that
pizza. Again, welcome to the 2007
Model United Nations Conference!
Brandi Long
Gwendelynn Bills
Susannah Griffee
Emma Cooper
Reporters
Anastasia Gnyp
Robert Duffley
Eliana Ramage
Brandon Parrish
Inside
Welcome
Component Information
Officer Profiles November 2, 2007
Model United
Nations GA
By: Larry Anderson
As I drove up to the
Embassy Suites many thoughts
crossed my mind to prep mentally
for the conference. As President
of the General Assembly I know
it is my duty to run the GA and
conduct the delegates in an orderly
manner. The GA is complicated
and it’s sometimes hard to explain
to newcomers. The way the GA
seems ineffective never sits right
with most delegates. Its frustrating to teach this to delegates,
but I know the officers that will
be supporting me, and I became
excited again. My optimism rose
and I realized this year I want to
see more from everyone. I became
president to promote more complicated proposals but to promote
more interaction whether through
debate, friendship, or just casual
talk. I want to see delegates getting offended because someone
dared to challenge their ideas. I
want to hear delegates go to dinner and continue talking about the
proposal that they just witnessed
in GA. I want to be able to feel
the fervor in someone as they approach the microphone for the first
con speech. Interaction between
delegates and the advancement
of communication is my primary
goal of the conference.
Over my training sessions and past years it has become
increasingly clear that GA is the
birth place of every delegate and
the resting place of most. The GA
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faces the hardest challenge of getting the freshmen delegates up to
speed without slowing down the
more advanced. This problem usually is solved about the second day
of the conference when everyone
starts to speak up. Communication
is the key to a successful GA every year. If I can pass one thing to
anyone this year it is talk to everyone. Say “hi” to everyone you don’t
know, make new friends, and step
outside of your comfort zone.
Thankfully I don’t have to
face this year on my own. I have
the best crew supporting me in GA
ever. I have six vice-presidents
which are the better part of the GA,
in my opinion. I have Alexander
Phones who is my comic relief in
the stress the GA will incur. There
is Stuart Davis, the groups’ reminder of sanity. Stuart is always quiet
and acting normal unlike the rest
of us. The GA’s lack of good looks
is made up for in the female vicepresidents Ashley Fox and Amanda
Castroverde. These two ladies keep
the rest of us on track most of the
time. Next is Matt Robinson. Besides being one of my best buddies
Matt is especially good with public
relations. Matt is big and hug-able
which makes the rest of the VP’s
and myself look less scary. Backing up the pack is Harrison Rea.
He is great at stirring everyone up.
One smart comment by Harrison
and everybody is ready to work. Of
course there is also the Liaison Colin McDonald who is always cracking jokes. All together this group
of seven makes my job incredibly
the General Assembly. This year is going to be
great. My goal is to be able to create an interactive environment.
The delegates in Model UN are
here to learn ethics and communication skills,which are not learned
by writing a proposal. They are
learned by sharing ideas with others of a similar mind set. This year
at Model UN the Vice Presidents
and I will achieve a new level of
community for the new Youth in
Government and the old.
Model United
Nations ICJ
By: Mazen Istanbouli
I remember last year’s ICJ
quite vividly and I can proudly say
that this year’s ICJ will exceed the
achievements of the 2006 ICJ. I
know all the justices well enough to
see what they can do, and I am proud
to say that each of them has a contribution to make to this year’s court.
I think the first one to be
given credit is a long-time friend
of mine, Jonathan Tutor. Not only
is he the reason why I probably
became the justice I am today, but
he is also one of the most talented
and insightful people I have met.
He probably has a better sense
of logic than I do. We were partners during my sophomore year
at Youth Legislature and without
his partnership I would have never received the title of Most Outstanding Lawyer which started my
route to my office as ICJ President.
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Emily Woodbury is the only
justice besides me who is a veteran
of the 2006 ICJ. Actually, when I
was given a case in French, Emily
was well-known for her skills in
the language and was recommended to translate the case for me. She
seemed willing to complete the
task in the beginning but when she
saw the five-hundred page Memorial she kindly directed me to a different strategy...finding the case in
English. Fortunately, she is probably one of the hardest working we
have on the bench. If there was an
ICJ Co-President, Emily would get
the title, hands off.
Although a newcomer
to the bench, Tho Nguyen is no
stranger to the Court. He has been
a lawyer in the ICJ for Botswana
and received Best Memorial in
2006 Model U.N. . Loved for his
Vietnamese accent by his fellow
classmates, Tho brings an interesting view of the cases for this year
and speaks his mind without end.
I consider her one of the
most unique justices we have on
the bench this year because she
only speaks her mind when she
needs to and that ability is something I highly respect. Alicia Cooper started her career in the YIG
judicial component (from what I
can remember at least) in her sophomore year in Youth Legislature.
She is extremely talented in debate
and research and probably
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the most versatile in her knowledge
of all the components. But what
makes her talents more interesting is
that she always keeps them to herself.
I would have to say one
name says it all: William McGehee.
Not only does the man have one
of the best impersonations of Cogsworth from Beauty and the Beast,
he probably has one of the greatest
attitudes on the bench. William is a
big joker and constantly keeps conversations going. He can easily apply those social skills to the Court.
He always asks the right questions.
Hunter Edens...the “Beast”
of the bench. The interesting thing
about Hunter is that he brings up
the controversial points of a topic.
For instance, somebody brings up
a point about how indigo is more
of a blue color, Hunter will bring
up how indigo is more of a purple
color. He sees the relativity in situations which gives a new perspective
to the cases we discuss in the court.
The only person that I know
that is a justice at Youth Legislature
in both Conference A and Conference B is Christina England. I remember going against her during
Youth Legislature and she always
makes her points clearly. Probably
one of the few that have read all of
the cases from the ICJ Docket. Her
clear points really add to her ability
to get down to the facts of the case.
Oh, William West...after
the final case was given to another
team William came
through and took up the case.
This year his hard work has paid
off. William is a current junior at
USN and definitely has the potential to be an awesome justice.
All in all, this year’s International Court of Justice is
composed of some of the greatest and most talented justices I
have seen and I am sure that
by the end of this Conference’s
end everyone will see the same.
Security Council Open
to New Countries
By:
Anastasia
Gnyp
We see London, we see
France…but do we see two countries
that are strong enough to dominate
Security Council? With countries
in the European Union such as Germany and Japan, why haven’t they
become permanent members, joining the elite forces of China, Russia,
the United States and a few others?
It’s logical to say that other
countries should be granted status,
due to new innovations in technology and stronger forces than
what even Great Britain could
provide. Japan, for example,
is the home of increasingly advanced technological progress.
The goals of Security Council are vast but ultimately reside
in developing and maintaining
November 2, 2007
peace. Germany and Japan could
do just as fair of a job internationally as the other Security Council
members.
In order to become a part
of Security Council, a country
must be elected and voted upon by
two-thirds of the present member
states, each of whom is allotted one vote a piece. The current
countries can be replaced if new
countries receive a higher voting
majority.
The countries elected that
do get positive votes and are made
part of the council are not permanent members, but after multiple
elections of the same country a
permanent position is considered.
Maybe after multiple elections
of greater militaristic countries,
Japan and Germany could stand a
fighting chance.
Good Eats and Treats
By: Brandi Long
So, since you didn’t get a
real lunch break today (hopefully
you brought a sack lunch) you’re
probably pretty hungry. This is
only the second year in Franklin
and for some, the first time ever.
You’re probably wondering where
you can eat and for what price.
In the fast food category,
there is a Wendy’s, a McDonald’s,
and a Chik-fil-a. These are all
great choices for a quick lunch or
dinner, or for those with a limited
budget.
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The next category, the mildly priced bistros, includes Quizno’s and Jersey Mike’s in the sub
range. There is also Atlanta Bread
Co., not to be confused with Bread
and Company. Also in the bistro
scene, there is McAllister’s Deli
and Tossed, a salad joint. Wolfgang
Puck Express is at the higher end of
the price range.
In the next category, mildly
priced restaurants! TGI Friday’s is
always good for something fun to
eat. A good way to eat there for little money is simple. Go in a group,
split the famous appetizers. From
what I’ve been told, there is a great
Chinese restaurant whose name escapes people. Keep an eye out for
that one. Last, but certainly not
least, Genghis Grill, the Mongolian
stir-fry.
High on price and high on
taste is Carrabas, the Italian grill.
PF Chang’s is also nearby. These
are two great restaurants, but you
better have reservations and a good
bit of money!
Hope this article helps you
decide where to eat. Have a great
dinner!
Parliamentary Procedure: A Quick How-To
By: Robert Duffley
Whatever you may think
of it, Parliamentary Procedure
is the cornerstone of all debates.
Although it may seem a bit archaic
at times, Parliamentary procedure
at times, Parliamentary
procedure keeps our debates efficient and orderly. And let’s face it:
following Parliamentary Procedure
adds a satisfying sense of importance and grandeur to conference
proceedings. Today Y in the World
pulled aside some of the conference
officers and asked them what they
considered to be the most essential
facets of procedure. We have their
assurance that, if you follow these
basic rules, you’ll at least keep
from embarrassing yourself.
The first test of parliamentary know-how is posed when delegates first stand up to speak. When
you get up, save yourself from humiliation by remembering to introduce yourself properly (name and
country). Also make sure that you
are wearing your jacket (guys). If
you are asking a technical question, keep in mind that it can only
prompt a “yes,” “no,” or a figure
from the patrons. If you’re speaking in the con/pro debate round, you
must then ask the chair for permission to ask the delegates questions
or address the floor. To complicate
things further, you may additionally reserve your right to yield time
to a fellow delegate or address the
floor after first asking questions.
Omissions of required requests can
lead to a rebuke from your chamber chair or even a mandate to sit
back down. Finally, do try to speak
loudly and articulately.
Procedure may seem complicated,
but paying attention to more experienced delegates in your committee will help greatly. Be sure not to
November 2, 2007
let fear of failure prevent you from
participating – sessions can get
long and boring quickly if you
aren’t actively participating. Your
fellow delegates won’t bite, and
volume commands attention. It
also creates a good first impression that may lead to support for
your proposel.
Issue 1
November 2, 2007
Officer Profiles
Larry Anderson- GA President
School: Gallatin High School
Favorite Pastime: playing music
Favorite Movie: V for Vendetta
Furthest Destination Traveled: Aruba
Interesting Facts: scuba diver and can
play trombone and drums at the same
time
What has the YMCA Youth in Government program meant to you? It
has given me a chance to socialize
and grow with people of a like mind.
In a world where smart kids are made
fun of, YMCA Youth in Government is a place where these kids can
express themselves freely.
Amanda Castroverde- GA VicePresident
School: St. Mary’s
Favorite Pastime: Killing flies with
that machine
Furthest Destination Traveled: Madrid
Favorite Movie: Amelie/ Dead Poets
Society
Interesting Facts: fluent in spanglish
and terrified of whales
What has the YMCA Youth in Government program meant to you? It
has taught me so much; not just the
workings of the government, but how
to form a valid persuasive argument,
and how to interact with people who
disagree with me.
Stuart Davis- GA Vice- President
School: University School of Nashville
Favorite Pastime: Football
Furthest Destination Traveled: Japan
Favorite Part of Model UN: Sense
of relief when I take off the MUN
goggles
Issue 1
Interesting Fact: British and if you
make me say “mine” I have to do 10
push-ups
Alexander Fones- GA Vice- President
School: Memphis University School
Favorite Pastime: Writing about anything
Furthest Destination Traveled: Italy
Favorite Movie: 2001: A Space Odyssey
Favorite Part of Model UN: Waiting
for the buses
Interesting Facts: own over a thousand comic books, can be found quite
frequently on the MUS stage, and
hope to direct and produce films
Ashley Fox- GA Vice- President
School: Pope John Paul II
Favorite Pastime: Listening and dancing to music
Furthest Destination Traveled: England
Interesting Facts: Teach beginner’s
piano and like to read outside if it is
hot
What has the YMCA Youth in Government program meant to you? The
Youth in Government program has really developed my interest in international issues, as well as issues within
the state. Overall, I have become a
better public speaker and more aware
of situation in other countries
Harrison Rea- GA Vice- President
School: Memphis University School
Favorite Pastime: Rock climbing and
kayaking
Furthest Destination Traveled: London, England
Favorite Part of Model UN: subcommittee
Interesting Facts: can tie a cherry
steam in a knot in my mouth and the
only junior that is an officer in the GA
this year
What has the YMCA Youth in Government program meant to you? It has
been a way to step outside my comfort zone and conquer public speaking. It has allowed me to make friends
all across the state, and it has been a
lot of fun every time.
Matthew Robinson- GA Vice- President
School: Gallatin High School
Favorite Pastime: Paintball
Furthest Destination Traveled: Hawaii
Interesting Facts: play paintball and
play guitar
Favorite Movie: Fight Club
Favorite Part of Model UN: Meeting
cool people
What has the YMCA Youth in Government program meant to me? A
weekend that I can enjoy with peers
who are as politically minded as I am.
Colin McDonald- General Assembly
Liaison
School: Memphis University School
Favorite Pastime: fighting crime
Furthest Destination Traveled: Venice,
Italy
Favorite Movie: The Boondock Saints
Favorite Part of Model UN: The raves
and the maidens
Interesting Facts: have managed to
break some appendages and uncle
glows in the dark as a result of his
work as a nuclear chemist
Hope Foley- Video Press Editor
School: Merrol Hyde Magnet School
Favorite Pastime: shopping
Furthest Destination Traveled: Hawaii
Interesting Facts: love to shop, like to
golf, and love to travel
Favorite Movie: The Devil Wear
Prada
Favorite Part of Model UN: the
ending ceremony when awards and