By TENA L. Cook, CSC Marketing Coordinator
CHADRON – Four Chadron State College students participated in the National University Model Arab League (NUMAL) in Washington March 24-27. CSC was invited to the national event by Brigham Young University after making a positive impression on the host institution of the Rocky Mountain Regional MAL Conference in March, according to Dr. Justin Curtis, assistant professor.
Andrew Corbine of Rapid City, S.D., and Hend Elnady of Cairo represented the State of Kuwait on the Council for Poverty and Unemployment, and earned recognition as Distinguished Delegates by their peers. Laura Clay of Colorado Springs, Colo., and Wyatt Fiscus of Bayard, Neb., worked on the Summit of Arab Heads of State, according to Curtis.
“I am so thrilled with the students’ performance at NUMAL and I hope that we can make participation at both the Rocky Mountain and the National conferences regular events for CSC,” Curtis said.
This was the 39th annual NUMAL event that started as an informal international simulation at Georgetown University, according to its website. Approximately 400 students from about 25 colleges and universities attend annually. Curtis said delegates train year-round through mock simulations, course-structured research, and participation in regional Model Arab League conferences to prepare for the highly competitive event.
Curtis said any CSC student interested in gaining or practicing skills in public speaking, writing, debating, or acting are encouraged to join the group. He added students who want to improve their knowledge of economics, the environment, democracy, national security, or indigenous politics are also welcome.
Conference speakers included Joey Hood, U.S. Department of State Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary, John Pratt, National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations Chairman of the Board of Directors, and Farhad Sazer, Embassy of Saudi Arabia in Washington.