AU Student and Grapevine Resident Wins Outstanding Delegation Award at Model Arab League Competition

2017 Mar 2

Ashland University's Model Arab League team won first place at this year's Ohio Valley competition held at Miami University. Grapevine resident Naomi Sims was among those who won an "outstanding delegate" award in addition to AU students Rick Platt, Jackson Yenor, Tyler MacQueen, Josh Frey, and Joey Barretta.

Sims is majoring in creative writing and is a 2014 graduate of Grapevine High School.

Model Arab League, similar to its bigger sister Model UN, recreates a summit meeting of an international organization, in this case the Arab League. Each university team is assigned one country and represents its interests on five different councils, ranging from defense to economic affairs. The aim in each council is to write a resolution in response to a pre-set agenda on which all countries agree, which, however, should also reflect one's own interests.

The councils are presided over by a chairperson whose task is to move the debate along while observing common rules of parliamentary procedure. Needless to say, conflicts over the precise wording arise. Those teams, which are well prepared on the issues at hand, who are eloquent, persuasive and effective advocates for their country, and who are able to create cooperation and consensus, are chosen as the "outstanding delegates."

Sims and fellow AU student, Joey Barretta, prepared for the Joint Defense Council representing the Republic of Tunisia. They began gathering information on Tunisia's interests since the beginning of the spring semester.

Now in its fifth consecutive year participating in Model Arab League, this year's delegation from AU was the most successful of any Ashland University teams, superseding even last year's second place finish and eight "distinguished delegate" awards. Next year, Ashland University hopes to participate in the national competition held in Washington, D.C.

Ashland University, ranked in the top tier of colleges and universities in U.S. News and World Report's National Universities category for 2017, is a mid-sized, private university conveniently located a short distance from Akron, Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio. Ashland University (www.ashland.edu) deeply values the individual student and offers a unique educational experience that combines the challenge of strong, applied academic programs with a faculty and staff who build nurturing relationships with their students. ###