|
|
 |
|
H-SC Participates in Model OAS
|
by Christopher Corey van Vlymen '08
|
|
Among the H-SC students attending were
(left to right)
(first row) Dylan Colligan '10, Alex Rowland '09
(middle row) Andrew Jennings '09, Tommy Ribaric '10, James Kennedy '10, Adam Lees
'11
(back row ) Corey van Vlymen '08, Grey Gilchrist '11 |
On April 8-12, Dr. Kenneth Lehman and his Inter-American Relations class traveled to Washington, DC, to participate in the Model
Organization of American States. The Model is a simulation of the regular OAS proceedings, in which the nations of North
and South America diplomatically interact. This was the ninth year Hampden-Sydney has participated in the
Model, and,
this year, the class represented the Republic of Costa Rica. In the past, Hampden-Sydney students have represented
St. Lucia, Chile, Guatemala, Honduras, Ecuador, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Mexico. The variety in countries H-SC has
represented has given repeat participants a wide variety of experiences from the differing standpoints of those nations.
Each year when Dr. Lehman takes his students to Washington to participate in the
Model, they have the opportunity
to experience the city but, more importantly, to participate in the Model which, in part, takes place in the Hall of
the Americas. The Hall was donated to the Organization of American States by Andrew Carnegie. In that respect, students get to experience
the history of the OAS, but also, students must study the current events affecting the country they represent
and the way the current political atmosphere affects relations throughout the hemisphere. When debating these issues
in the Model’s sessions, the students gain a “good understanding of parliamentary procedure and diplomatic language,”
according to Dr. Lehman. Use of that procedural knowledge and decorum
lends itself to the argumentative and persuasive speeches students will
make, at which Hampden-Sydney students continue to be at an advantage.
 Student
delegates focus on the interests and positions of the nation they represent, which for Hampden-Sydney
was Costa Rica. Dr. Lehman’s class has read and discussed a complete history of the nation, from its first inception to
its current social and political situations. Among those, the class has focused on a few problems they can relate to
as citizens of the United States. Those issues are the current hot-button topic of immigration, the controversial
concerns surrounding climate change, and potential fuel shortages in the near future. Concerning immigration, Costa Rica
shares similar problems with the U.S. concerning the influx of individuals and the problems and concerns that arise from
having large numbers of unrecognized aliens within its borders. On the topic of environmental stability, Costa Rica has
taken the initiative to be a leader within the hemisphere, vowing to be the first carbon neutral state in the Americas and working constantly to protect its biodiversity and the integrity of its lands, as their beauty and purity are a source
of tourist attraction and crop success (which is a key source of income for most of the nation).
Whether it be through learning about how a large country like the United States could learn from a small nation like Costa
Rica, currently run by a Nobel Peace Prize-winning president, no less, or whether it be through compromising with countries
with differing viewpoints (such as the students representing nations like Venezuela), students gain an understanding of how
America functions as a group of interactive nations. The class worked toward an understanding of parliamentary procedure and
diplomatic behavior that can be put to use in many other settings, and participation in the
Model serves as an extension of
the College’s goals of producing rhetorically gifted students skilled in the art of persuasive argumentation.
The Model also offered students, again this year, the opportunity to hear speeches from and
to meet with key political players
in Washington. Students met in the office of alumnus Melvin Moore ’07 to talk with the director of America Speaks,
a program that works to poll and offer voice to the general public on a variety of issues.
The keynote speaker at the Model was the U.S. Ambassador to the OAS. Students had a chance to pose questions to the Ambassador and to hear official
responses on the importance of the Model as well as current international issues. Most importantly, though, the guys from H-SC
had a chance to interact with students from universities across Latin America, and were given a view from those who experience
the countries represented on a daily basis.
|
