SUMUN will be headed to New York City from April 3 to April 7, representing the nation of Libya at a conference, according to Charles Gobert, SUMUN president. The club also attended a conference hosted by Harvard at the Boston Marriott Copley Place hotel on Feb. 10 to Feb. 13, where they represented Ukraine.
“Essentially in conferences, we’re put into different committees, and in those committees, we talk about different issues,” Gobert said. “For example, there’s going to be a committee that talks about refugees, a committee that talks about housing and we tackle those issues from the perspective of the country we have.”
At conferences, delegates also have the opportunity to be awarded for their work. According to Gobert, two Suffolk delegates won an award at a Northeastern University conference from Nov. 5-7, and all of the Suffolk delegates who attended Harvard’s conference won awards.
According to Gobert, being a part of SUMUN can help students gain an understanding of international issues.
“We do current events in the world, so right now we talk about Ukraine. So we really give people an understanding of what’s happening outside the U.S.,” Gobert said. “Joining Model U.N. is a great opportunity to learn about what is happening in the world and improve your public speaking.
As the president of SUMUN, Gobert hopes students learn how important it is to have an understanding of geopolitics and cultures beyond the U.S.
“When I moved to the U.S. I felt like often people here have less broad vision than they have in other countries, so that’s something I hope to change,” Gobert said.
Gobert has participated in SUMUN since he was a freshman at Suffolk and said that his participation in the organization has allowed him to grow tremendously as a public speaker and gain confidence in front of crowds. Gobert said that the most valuable takeaway he has had, though, is the friendships he has made through SUMUN.
“Even though I love learning about all the issues, I feel like where I’ve grown most is through the friendships I’ve made through the club,” Gobert said.
Gobert joined SUMUN to explore his passion with keeping up with world news and international events.
“Joining MUN has always been the best route for me to explore that ambition. I realized that the first day I joined, as a freshman, and it’s never failed to be true, as I’m ready to graduate,” Gobert said.
SUMUN now meets two times a week, Tuesdays during activities period and Thursdays from 5 to 6 p.m., in Samia 217, where they learn both technical speaking skills and discuss international events.
