CIAS Digest, Fall 2014, No.4

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!CIAS%DIGEST! The$Cornell$International$Affairs$Society$Digest! www.thecias.org!

Recapping!CIAS’s!Fall!Semester!–!!

Conferences,!Philanthropy,!and!CMUNC!Prep!

By Dan Cohanpour This semester is ending on a fantastic note. We sent our delegation to QMUNi and UPMUNC, with many good times had and several of our delegates receiving top honors. After a philanthropy debate, in which CIAS members discussed viable charities, we also chose the official CIAS philanthropy for the semester: Adeso, an innovative African development enterprise. We look forward to collaborating with Adeso in the coming weeks and months.

We also hosted the North Korea advocacy event, sponsored by the nonprofit LiNK, which had a very high turnout and some great reviews. During the event, a LiNK representative presented snapshots of refugee life, and discussed how the organization assisted refugees with resettlement plans.

Additionally, CIAS lineages are finally extended, with our new members receiving bigs. We had our big-little reveal during our December 3 General Body meeting, which turned out to be a great success, as lineages later met for dinners, parties, and CIAS lunch-dates.

Ending the semester on a social note, Date Night took place on December 6 at

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OPPORTUNITIES*FOR* NEW*MEMBERS*

Above: CIAS bigs and littles party in packs at the end-ofsemester date night: (clockwise) Yashvi Gattani, ’18, Tracy DePetrillo, ’15, Caroline Isleib, ’16, and Robin Zhang, ’18 show some lineage pride.

Below: CIAS’s 2014-15 yearbook photo

Miyake, and allowed for some lineage bonding and delegation unity. Have a wonderful holiday everybody looking forward to next semester – starting with McMUN, new spring conferences, CMUNC preparation, and weeks of intriguing IR discussion. Good luck with backgroundguide writing for CMUNC, and we cannot wait to see you all for an event-filled spring semester that will definitely strengthen CIAS bonds, build up our high school conference, and offer new events and speaker series.

Undergraduates who want to become more involved can attend weekly General Body meetings, in which members bond, simulate Model UN caucuses, prep for traveling conferences, and conduct IR discussions about current events.

CIAS meets every Wednesday from 5-6 pm in Malott 228. CIAS meetings will resume immediately after winter break, with a McMUN logistics session on January 21.

In addition to General Body meetings, members can also travel in CIAS’s competitive MUN delegations, and staff two of Cornell’s hosted conferences – CMUNC, our spring high school conference, and CIAC, our fall intercollegiate conference.

For any questions about joining CIAS, or becoming more involved in MUN conferences or general body meetings, email CIAS President Daniel Cohanpour, at dc743@cornell.edu, or speak with the CIAS e-board at a GB meeting.

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!CIAS%DIGEST' The$Cornell$International!Affairs'Society'Digest' www.thecias.org'

Alumni'Spotlight'–'Meril'Pothen'Shares' Conference'Experiences,'and'Consulting'Work' Hi everyone! I’m Meril Pothen, ’13, and I cannot wait to meet you all! I recently graduated with a degree in Policy Analysis and Management from Human Ecology, and now work in Jersey for Nielsen as a pharmaceutical innovation consultant. I joined CIAS during my freshman year at Cornell after really finding my voice and confidence while doing MUN in high school. Coming into a new college environment, I looked to MUN again to help me transition into my new surroundings and further develop my skills. On the competitive circuit, I specialized in humanitarian crisis committees; pandemic crises are my favorite! (Side note: Ask Varun, Sophie, Anna, and Kelsey about our CIAC committee). I also served on CMUNC and CIAC secretariats over the years, and was CMUNC Secretary General my senior year.

Model UN truly paved the way for my personal and professional development. There is something special about a regimen of weekly debates and dinners, hours of conference folder stuffing, and countless verses of “Give my Regards to Davy.” CIAS members have supported me at my strongest and my most vulnerable, and they are the most genuine and fun group of individuals I have ever met. I met my closest friends staffing CMUNC and CIAC, and traveling with the team; I miss it so much as an alumna. Professionally, CIAS taught me how to negotiate, understand different perspectives, and creatively find solutions to tough problems. As a consultant, these skills are tested every day, and CIAS has consistently kept me ahead of the curve. To newer members of CIAS, please bring your passions, talent, and energy to the table. CIAS grows bigger and stronger every year because its members are so generous with their time and skills. Whether it

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SPRING!CONFERENCE! UPDATES!

entails staffing a committee, attending oncampus CIAS events, traveling to conferences, or contributing to the team, please find a way to get involved. The skills and network you gain with this group are invaluable; the more involved you become, the more you benefit. If you’d like to talk about life after CIAS and Cornell, career and internship planning, or anything else, shoot me an email at merilpothen@gmail.com. I’m always happy to connect!

Committees'“Get'Pumped”'for'CMUNC'2015''

CMUNC Secretariat and staff will host this year’s conference from April 16 to 19.

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By Madeleine Skaller This has been a very busy semester for CMUNC. In addition to working out conference logistics and coordinating outreach, we have finalized our committees, chairs, and staff. With innovative committees and experienced chairs, we're sure this year's conference will be the best yet. Our committees this year cover a range of topics including outer space, medieval knights, and historical China. The broad range of topics and committee sizes is sure to appeal to any delegate or staffer. Aside from conference planning, we have also hosted social events for our staff to show how much we appreciate their hard work. Moving forward, we hope to secure more sponsorships, attract media attention, and train staff so they're prepared for the conference. This upcoming semester holds more work and challenges, but the Secretariat is ready, willing, and excited to tackle them.

CIAS’s travel team will begin spring semester with an annual trip to McMUN from January 22 to 25.

Cornell will bring a large delegation, and offer new members a chance to practice parliamentary procedure, and Model UN techniques at McGill University’s popular conference. In addition to McMUN, CIAS’s travel team will accept applications for two conferences: Brown’s BUCS from February 26 to March 1, and Penn State’s PUNC from March 19 to 22.

All CIAS members are encouraged to apply. Conferences allow delegates to enhance their debate skills, and brush up on committee procedures before CMUNC.

FALL!HIGHLIGHTS! 1. Traveling Conferences and Best Delegate’s Top 25 CIAS’s traveling team regained a competitive edge on the college circuit, placing at SCSY, UPMUNC, and QMUNi.

2. Big/Little Reveal Lineages expanded once more, and new members joined CIAS families; this year, a record number of freshmen signed up for bigs.

2. CMUNC Parties Parties allowed staffers to bond, plan holiday-themed costumes, and earn committee points.

3. CMUNC Included in Top 10 High School Conferences According to a US High School Model UN conference review in “Unmoderated Caucus,” CMUNC is improving, and gaining more competitive delegates every year.

Editor: Alison Schonberg