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The Model United Nations clubs on the University of North Georgia's (̨Íåswag) Gainesville and Dahlonega Campuses jointly organized the seventh annual Model United Nations Conference at the Gainesville Campus. Held March 29, the event topic was "Addressing the Impacts that Artificial Intelligence has in the Current Digital Age."

This year Jessica Case was a co-coordinator with Nathanael Hines.

"No prior knowledge or preparation is required as this is a gateway conference and students are given a brief orientation at the beginning of the session," Dr. Bibek Chand, assistant professor of political science and international affairs, said. "This is a great opportunity for students who are looking to hone their skills in presenting in front of large crowds, negotiating, caucusing, and conflict resolution."

Sophomore Aboubakar Aliou of Flowery Branch, Georgia, was a first-time participant. He is pursuing a degree in computer science.

"Taking part in my first Model UN conference as a representative of El Salvador was like stepping into a new world for me. Even though it was on a smaller scale, being a delegate was an exhilarating experience," Aboubakar said. "Discussing the future of AI with my partner and all the other delegates present sparked my curiosity and taught me a lot. It was incredibly rewarding to be recognized as the most democratic delegates, and it left me eager to dive even deeper into diplomacy and global issues."

Tracy Amaya participated because the class was led by Chand, one of her favorite professors. Amaya is a senior pursuing a degree in political science with a concentration in pre-law. The Gainesville, Georgia, resident looking into a career in law because it is something she's dreamt of doing since she was a little girl. Amaya aims to practice immigration or family law.

Amaya encourages people to participate in Model UN because it "opens a whole new window of opportunities."

"A skill I have improved significantly would be public speaking. Growing up I had a severe stutter, which made me self-conscious, and it was something that I thought I would never grow out of," she said. "Through my experience with Model UN, I've really seen myself become very confident in my abilities to talk in front of a room, which is something that I never thought would be possible."