2025 RCMUN Archive

Hello,

My name is Kathryn McElfresh, and I am delighted to serve as your Secretary General for the inaugural Roanoke College Mini Model United Nations Conference. Whether this is your first conference or you are a veteran delegate, we hope you will enjoy the conference and learn more about international politics in the process.

Being a Model UN delegate can be stressful. I remember my first conferences and the nerves I had going into them. What I realized though was that everyone else was also nervous. No matter how much you prepare, standing at the podium to speak for the first time can be difficult. If you get nervous, take a moment to collect yourself and remember that everyone else feels the same way. If you forget a point of procedure or mess up in some other way, do not worry about it appearing as though you are not prepared. Everyone is there to learn, and each mistake allows for an opportunity to grow.

The topic for this conference is “Environmental Sustainability in the Tourism Industry” and a simulation of the United Nations Environment Assembly. This committee is dear to my heart, being a lover of the environment and having represented multiple countries on this council at National Model United Nations conferences. The UNEA is often overlooked, but we need to remember the environment. Impacts on the environment in one place have lasting effects on other places and issues, sometimes without realizing it. My hope is that when you walk out of committee at the end of the day, you will have a deeper appreciation for the environment, the UN agency that works to help preserve the environment worldwide, and the challenges to creating solutions on the wide range of issues it faces.

Thank you for your interest in our conference, and I look forward to you joining us on campus.

Best,

Kathryn McElfresh

2024-2025 Secretary General