Twelve Missouri Southern students representing Egypt took first place at the 22nd Model Arab World League during the conference held from April 10-12 in Dallas.

This is the fifth win for the College at a Model League.

The League was established in 1983 and is based loosely on the United Nations. Each of the 22 Arab countries is represented by a different college or university from the United States

Out of the 17 schools, from Boston to Santa Barbara, present, Southern was the only Missouri college to participate.

Dr. Conrad Gubera, professor of sociology, involved Southern with the program 11 years ago after spending several summers in the Middle East. He currently teaches a course on the Arab world.

In the early days of Southern’s involvement with the program, Gubera had to raise the money to attend independently of the College. The program is now supported by the College’s administration.

“In the past, the Ozarks’ Hells Angels Club used to donate to our fund,” Gubera said.

Students begin preparing for the conference as late as 10 days before the competition by researching the current issues concerning the country they represent in social, economic, security, Palestinian affairs and environmental and financial affairs.

“The students research the topics and then try to write resolutions to bring to their specific committees once they get to the conference to change or rectify a situation,” Gubera said.

The conference agenda consists of a keynote speaker from the real Arab World League, followed by student committees on different topics breaking up and electing officers to lead the discussion. Four Southern students were elected to these positions.

The committees then proceed to introduce their resolutions for improving the Arab World, and all of the 500 students and faculty members present deliberate on the cost of the resolution and look for weak spots in the other delegations’ arguments.

After the most worthy resolutions are passed, the winners of the conference are announced at an awards banquet.

Southern won three out of the 10 awards given to individual students for outstanding delegates. Southern also won the conference’s overall outstanding delegation award.

Melinda Dugdale, junior sociology major, was new to Southern’s delegation but was successful in passing a women’s rights resolution at the Model League.

“I got involved because it seemed interesting to learn about a different culture,” Dugdale said. “The competition was good, everyone had a good attitude and there were hardly any arguments.”

The purpose of the Model League is to educate college and high school students about the Arab World, but Gubera doesn’t limit the students’ experience.

“This is a tremendous immersion for the students,” he said. “They learn about oil problems, fundamental Islam, relations with the U.S. and also learn the language of political resolutions. The students come away from this feeling better about themselves and learning something about another culture, and I think that’s really the best part about going to these conferences.”

Another purpose of the League is sending all resolutions passed during the conference to the real Arab World League, headquartered in Cairo, Egypt. The resolutions are debated and sometimes passed and put into Arab law.

“It just makes you think that some of these laws in the Arab countries were thought up by American college students,” Gubera said.

All students are invited to participate in the Model League. Previous delegates have come from not only the social sciences but nursing, physics, art and law enforcement.

Anyone interested in being involved with the next conference can contact Gubera for information.