Midshipmen from the Naval Academy’s Model United Nations (UN) club pose for a photo at the National Model UN Conference in New York City. Bottom row from left, Lt. Jon Tasch, Midn. 1⁄C Nick Adam, and Midn. 3⁄C Bryana Tucci. Top row from left, Midn. 3⁄C Louis W. Taylor, Midn. 1⁄C Dan Gift, Midn. 3⁄C Christopher Murphy, Midn. 1⁄C Tebin Glebus, Midn. 3⁄C Casey Merrill, Midn. 1⁄C Amy Hunt, Midn. 3⁄C Chance Allen Hughes, and Midn. 3⁄C Victor S. Hurlbert. Courtesy photo.

Over the course of the five-day conference, the Midshipmen interacted with more than 4,000 college and university students from five continents. Throughout the conference, the Midshipmen represented the UN delegation for the nation-state of Maldives, facing a wide variety of issues.

The conference mirrored the way actual committees discuss and resolve international topics of interest within the United Nations. For the simulation, the teams debated issues including ''Breaking the Link Between Diamonds and Armed Conflict,'' ''The Role of Foreign Direct Investment in Development,'' ''Combating the Spread of Illicit Drugs,'' and ''Economic Integration of the Organization of Islamic Conference Member States.''

In addition to the conference schedule, the Midshipmen received a behind-the-scenes tour of the UN building, where they visited the ground floor of the General Assembly, as well as the Security Council chamber. The Manhattan chapter of the Naval Academy Alumni Association hosted the Midshipmen for a social event at a restaurant in Times Square.

Model UN affords Midshipmen a chance to develop their leadership skills in a distinctive forum with international implications outside of Bancroft Hall.

''Model UN provides a unique opportunity for future naval officers to engage their civilian counterparts in diplomatic discussion, aiding our development as citizen soldiers,'' said Midn. 1⁄C Nick Adams, club president. ''In order to defend freedoms and ensure diplomacy can take place, we must understand how it works. Increasingly, every military officer is a diplomat, as the job of winning hearts and minds is little more than diplomacy on the lowest level, with the individual family and community. It is these skills of diplomacy and negotiation that Model UN helps Midshipmen to hone, in hopes that they will be better prepared to assume what they will face in their future careers.''

The National Model UN conference in New York was one of many the Midshipmen will participate in over the course of the academic year. In the past, the club members have participated in conferences held in Montreal and Washington D.C., as well as the Ivy League-sponsored Model UN Tournament at University of Pennsylvania.

In addition to Adams, the Naval Academy Model UN club members include Midn. 1⁄C Amy Hunt, Midn. 1⁄C Tebin Glebus, Midn. 1⁄C Dan Gift, Midn. 3⁄C Bryana Tucci, Midn. 3⁄C Victor Hurlburt, Midn. 3⁄C Casey Merrill, Midn. 3⁄C Wilson Taylor, Midn. 3⁄C Chris Murphy, and Midn. 3⁄C Chance Hughes. Lt. Jon Tasch and Lt. Josh Welle serve as officer representatives, and Asst. Prof. Nikolaos Biziouras is the club’s faculty representative.