Marcu
      30,
      2005
     
    
   
   
    
     
      THE
      CADRE
      e
      4
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      UPEI
      Student
      Wins
      Award
      at
      Model
      UN
      Conference
     
     
      Racism
      Allegations
      Just
      Hype:
      Esseghaier
     
    
   
   
    
     
          
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Kimberley
      Johnston
     
     
      Reporter
     
    
   
   
    
     
      One
      of
      UPEI’s
      own
      was
      the
     
     
      recipient
      of
      a
      prestigious
      award
      at
      the
     
     
      Model
      UN
      Conference
      in
      Ottawa
      three
     
     
      weekends
      ago.
      Zain
      Esseghaier,
      a
     
     
      second-year
      Economics
      student,
     
     
      received
      the
      award
      for
      Best
      Delegate
     
     
      from
      the
      Arab
      League
      committee
      -
      an
     
     
      honour
      he
      shares
      with
      his
      fellow
      Arab
     
     
      League
      members
      and
      UPEI
      delegates.
     
    

    
     
      “[Receiving
      the
      award
      ]
      was
     
     
      humbling
      and
      greatly
      appreciated,
      but
     
     
      some
      of
      the
      credit
      must
      go
      to
      the
     
     
      participants
      on
      the
      Arab
      League
     
     
      committee,”
      said
      the
      first-time
      Model
     
     
      UN
      delegate.
      “These
      delegates
     
     
      represented
      universities
      from
      across
     
     
      Canada
      and
      included
      participants
      from
     
     
      the
      United
      States
      and
      Europe.
      It
      was
     
     
      this
      group
      of
      such
      friendly,
      brilliant
     
     
      individuals,
      who
      were’
      so
     
     
      knowledgeable
      and
      truly
      interested
      in
     
     
      the
      subject
      that
      really
      peaked
      my
      interest
     
     
      in
      the
      conference
      and
      made
      it
      an
     
     
      experience
      I
      could
      never
      forget.”
     
    

    
     
      “The
      rest
      of
      the
      credit
      definitely
     
     
      goes
      to
      the
      phenomenal
      UPEI
     
     
      delegation.
      Their
      enthusiasm
      throughout
     
     
      the
      whole
      experience,
      from
      fund-raising
     
     
      back
      in
      the
      fall
      to
      the
      conference,
      really
     
     
      rubbed
      off
      on
      me
      and
      the
      tips
      and
      tricks
     
     
      they
      taught
      me
      helped
      my
      own
     
     
      experience
      at
      the
      conference
     
     
      immensely.”
     
    

    
     
      He
      said
      he
      cannot
      imagine
      what
     
     
      the
      conference
      would
      have
      been
      like
     
     
      for
      him
      without
      the
      assistance
      of
      his
     
     
      fellow
      UPEI
      delegates.
     
    

    
     
      “More
      importantly
      though,
      I
     
     
      was
      lucky
      enough
      to
      meet
      14
      fine,
      fine
     
     
      people
      from
      UPEI
      and
      [I]
      cannot
      even
     
     
      imagine
      having
      the
      same
      experience
      had
     
     
      any
      one
      of
      those
      people
      not
      been
      there.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      I
      think
      I
      can
      speak
      for
      everyone
      when
     
     
      I
      say
      that
      we
      had
      an
      absolute
      blast
      the
     
     
      entire
      time,
      and
      I
      must
      say
      that
      I
     
     
      thoroughly
      enjoyed
      getting
      to
      know
     
     
      everyone.”
     
    

    
     
      It
      was
      an
      event
      later
      laced
      with
     
     
      allegations
      of
      racism
      and
      drug
      usage.
     
     
      In
      true
      political
      fashion,
      many
      UPEI
     
     
      delegates
      have
      freely
      admitted
      to
      drug
     
     
      usage
      and
      receiving
      a
      visit
      from
      the
     
     
      Boys
      in
      Blue
      (and
      I
      don’t
      mean
     
     
      Conservative
      MPs);
      but
      getting
      straight
     
     
      answers
      regarding
      the
      racism
      charges
     
     
      were
      harder
      to
      find
      for
      this
      reporter.
     
    

    
     
      Bob
      Gibson,
      Director
      of
     
     
      Student
      Services,
      is
      carrying
      out
      the
     
     
      investigation.
      Because
      of
      due
      process
     
     
      and
      confidentiality
      restrictions,
      Gibson
     
     
      could
      only
      say
      that
      an
      investigation
      is
     
     
      ongoing
      but
      no
      other
      details
      can
      be
     
     
      released.
      “I
      can
      confirm
      that
      there
      have
     
     
      been
      reports
      of
      inappropriate
      conduct
     
     
      by
      some
      students
      who
      attended
      the
     
     
      Model
      UN
      Conference
      and
      the
     
     
      university
      has
      an
      obligation
      to
      investigate
     
     
      all
      such
      reports.
      Student
      Services
      has
     
     
      been
      speaking
      with
      the
      students
      who
     
     
      attended
      the
      conference
      to
      develop
      a
     
    
   
   
    
     
      clear
      understanding
      of
      what,
      in
      fact,
      did
     
     
      take
      place.
      However,
      we
      will
      not
      breach
     
     
      student
      confidentiality
      or
      due
      process
     
     
      by
      commenting
      in
      the
      media,”
      said
     
     
      Gibson,
      in
      a
      statement
      to
      The
      Cadre.
     
     
      Esseghaier
      finds
      it
      hard
      to
     
     
      believe
      that
      any
      thing
      as
      negative
      as
     
     
      racism
      could
      have
      taken
      place
      on
      behalf
     
     
      of
      the
      UPEI
      delegation,
      or
      any
      other
     
     
      group
      at
      the
      conference.
      “Don’t
      believe
     
     
      the
      hype,”
      he
      said.
      “The
      mere
      thought
     
     
      thatracism
      could
      occur
      in
      any
      form
      from
     
     
      within
      a
      group
      of
      bright,
      young,
      open,
     
     
      ethnically
      and
      religiously
      diverse
     
     
      students
      is
      absurd
      and
      deserves
      no
     
     
      further
      justification.”A
      trip
      marred
      with
     
     
      police
      visits
      and
      racism
      allegations
      has
     
     
      not
      rained
      on
      Esseghaier’s
      political
     
     
      parade,
      though.
     
     
      ae
      “Being
      my
      first
      model
      UN,
      I
     
     
      had
      no
      idea
      know
      what
      to
      expect
      and
     
     
      came
      into
      the
      conference
      with
      no
     
     
      expectations
      whatsoever.
      I
      left
      with
      an
     
     
      experience
      I’ll
      never
      forget.
      The
     
     
      organizers
      did
      such
      a
      fantastic
      job
      of
     
     
      putting
      the
      conference
      together,
      and
     
     
      were
      great
      hosts
      to
      all
      delegations
     
     
      during
      our
      stay
      in
      Ottawa.”He
      has
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Master
      of
      Arts
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
        
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Www.upei.ca/iis/master
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Deadline
      for
     
     
      Applications:
     
     
      May
      16,
      2005
     
     
      International
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Applicants
     
     
      elcome
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      learned
      there
      is
      a
      certain
      rhythm
     
     
      involved
      in
      these
      conferences;
      strategy
     
     
      and
      preparation
      also
      play
      key
      roles
      if
     
     
      one
      is
      to
      succeed
      in
      the
      political
      arena.
     
     
      “Timing
      is
      important
      with
      your
     
     
      arguments,
      when
      certain
      topics
      come
     
     
      up,
      know
      how
      and
      where
      to
      ride
      that
     
     
      topic
      to
      furthering
      your
      own
      goals.
     
     
      During
      the
      committee,
      its
      important
      that
     
     
      you
      take
      calculated
      steps
      in
      taking
     
     
      control,
      apply
      well-timed
      pressure
      to
     
     
      different
      parties,
      know
      the
      interests
      of
     
     
      all
      parties,
      and
      structure
      your
      arguments
     
     
      in
      such
      a
      way
      that
      you
      can
     
     
      simultaneously
      bring
      certain
      parties
      on
     
     
      side
      while
      applying
      pressure
      on
      others;
     
     
      that
      way
      you
      control
      the
      board.
      This
     
     
      makes
      setting
      your
      own
      agenda
      and
     
     
      pushing
      for
      your
      own
      interests
      much
     
     
      easier.
      Once
      your
      agenda
      is
      in
      place,
     
     
      it’s
      a
      matter
      of
      bringing
      the
      “‘hold-outs”
     
     
      in-line
      by
      making
      compromises
      that
     
     
      work
      to
      your
      own
      advantage.”
     
     
      Esseghaier
      even
      offered
     
     
      pointers
      for
      any
      fledgling
      ambassadors
     
    
   
   
    
     
      hoping
      to
      attend
      Model
      UN
     
    
   
   
    
     
      conference.“My
      advice
      to
      others
      who
     
     
      may
      participate
      at
      a
      future
      UN
     
     
      conference:
      never
      be
      intimidated,
      keep
     
     
      in
      mind
      that
      everyone
      is
      playing
      arole,
      —
     
     
      stick
      to
      your
      own,
      and
      don’t
      back
     
     
      down.”
     
     
      You
      may
      also
      want
      to
      leave
      your
      hash
     
     
      stash
      and
      any
      closed-minded
      views
      at
     
     
      home,
      lest
      your
      delegation
      falls
      under
     
     
      investigation
      as
      well.