FIU Student Team Takes Top Honors In Model United Nations Competition
Miami Delegation Bests 180 Colleges, Universities in Mock Sessions

MIAMI, Fla. (May 3, 2001) - A delegation of Florida International University students won prestigious first-place awards for performance and for excellence in position papers at the recently completed National College Model United Nations Conference in New York.

Nearly 3,000 college students from 188 colleges and universities on four continents took part in the National Model College United Nations Conference between April 9-15. Model UN sessions were held at the United Nations itself, with closing ceremonies held in the UN General Assembly Hall.

The FIU delegation, representing Turkey, was one of only eight to receive a first- place "Outstanding Delegation" award for performance in the simulated sessions. The delegation was also one of eight to land a first-place "Outstanding Delegation" for excellence in written position papers.

The FIU delegation was comprised of Head Delegate Adela Lopes; Assistant Head Delegate Frank Fernandez; Susana Camacho; Jennifer Rubenstein; Robert Castellanos; Rolando Roig; Wilfredo Gaitan; Khaleel Seecharan; Melissa Fernandez; Duran Inci; Heidi Marcelo; Sebastian Marino; Ricky Astray-Caneda; Felipe Sixto; and Paula Olivares.

Model United Nations (INR 4926) is a three-credit course, offered each Spring by the FIU Department of Political Science in conjunction with FIU's Jack D Gordon Institute for Public Policy and Citizenship Studies, the FIU Student Government Association and the College of Arts and Sciences Dean's Office.

Founded in 1965, FIU is now one of the nation's largest universities and Florida's only metropolitan, public institution to hold both a Phi Beta Kappa chapter and the leading research university rating from the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.

Media contacts: Todd Martinez-Padilla Simmons (305) 348-2716 or 2232 David Umansky (202) 357-2627, ext. 106.