Model UN representatives participate in crisis simulation

Five members of Salve Regina’s Model United Nations club – Ryan Ciocco ’18, Santiago Durango ’19, Kayla Rennie ’19, Heidi Silverio ’18 and Sebastian Taborda ’18 – participated in the fifth annual Brown University Crisis Simulation March 3-6.

The event presented the delegates with challenging crisis scenarios that required an interdisciplinary and articulated approach to solving. The fast-paced environment of the simulations required critical thinking and analytical skills that could be applied rapidly to divert the onslaught of problems presented.

Salve Regina’s delegates were incorporated into various committees that reflected their personal interest and subject-oriented skill.

• Ciocco was involved in the Egyptian committee of the “Suez Crisis,” which regarded the 1956 nationalization of the Suez Canal and British, French and Israeli efforts to invade while attempting to maintain an economic foothold in the Middle East.
• Durango was involved in the Tesla committee of the “Toyota and Tesla” crisis, which exhibited a dichotomy of business strategy and legal theory while each company battled for superiority in the global transportation industry.
• Rennie was involved in the “Travels of Marco Polo” joint committee, which dealt with the hazards and sociopolitical climate of Polo’s expeditionary activities in the late 1200s.
• Silverio and Taborda were involved in opposing “Pirate Republic” committees, which dealt with historical issues of sovereignty regarding a pirate-run island nation in conflict with European powers.

Ciocco received the “Best Delegate” award for his command of Egyptian naval forces and overall strategy in confronting enemy belligerents. Rennie received the “Outstanding Delegate” award for her crucial role as a Genoese merchant, balancing a variety of societal and economic issues. Taborda received an honorable mention for his expertise in confronting the issue of the pirate republic and its implications for European nations that were active in the Caribbean.

“The work effort and dedication of all delegates is highly commendable, as they sustained many hours of preparation and research in order to make BUCS such a great success,” Ciocco said. “Their experiences will contribute to the Model United Nations club’s further activities and enhance future debates or conferences.”