Twelve Howard Payne University students attended the Model United Nations of the Far West Conference held in San Francisco in April. While the students learned a great deal and enjoyed the experience, the most memorable part of their trip was paying tribute to their teacher, HPU professor Dr. Joe Weatherby, who passed away suddenly in March.

At the Diplomat’s Banquet held during the conference, a plaque was presented to the HPU team recognizing Dr. Weatherby’s many years of outstanding service as a Model U.N. advisor to Howard Payne University and California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo.

“Dr. Weatherby didn’t think of Model U.N. as an activity,” said HPU junior Adam Hardy. “The reason he cared about it was it was a matter of reality. It was about being able to understand the different parts of the world and appreciate the people and the places themselves. This wasn’t something he taught us through anything he said, it was something he taught us through who he was.”

HPU’s Sandefer scholar-in-residence and a professor of political science, Dr. Weatherby taught at HPU for 14 years in the Douglas MacArthur Academy of Freedom before his passing on March 29, 2010. He was instrumental in the creation of the Model United Nations program at the university and, dedicated to teaching beyond the classroom, he was a frequent sponsor on student trips around the world.

Students on the Model U.N. trip included Kathryn Burns, Callie Ellis, Adam Hardy, Shawn Hodge, Andrew Lambourne, Brittany Lunsford, Andrea Morgan, Matthew Peisker, Scott Perkins, Josh Rice, Dane Ritcheson and Jessica Zaldivar.

The students were divided into two groups and represented the countries of Austria and Indonesia. Both teams were awarded Certificates of Achievement in the Art and Practice of Diplomacy at this year’s conference.

Scott Perkins, an HPU junior from Santa Clarita, California, said during this conference he learned the importance of compromise.

“Without compromise, consensus cannot be reached,” he said. “At times it was necessary to put aside our personal agenda for the good of the whole. Sometimes it takes differing opinions to construct something of value.”

Perkins plans to apply the lessons he has learned next year as he serves as HPU’s student body president.

The HPU Model United Nations team was implemented in the fall of 2007. The students have also attended conferences in Philadelphia, Washington, D.C. and Chicago.  In the fall, the HPU Model U.N. team will participate in the National Model United Nations-Europe Conference in the Czech Republic.

This will be the first time the HPU team will travel abroad to participate in a conference. According to Dr. Justin D. Murphy, dean of the School of Humanities and director of the Douglas MacArthur Academy of Freedom, this is also the most prestigious conference in which the HPU group has participated.

Funding for the trip was made possible by contributions from the Douglas MacArthur Academy of Freedom Board of Directors.

Photo contributed by Cynthia Givan:  Twelve HPU students participated in the Model United Nations of the Far West Conference in San Franscisco this April. During the conference, the students received two certificates of achievement and accepted a resolution on behalf of their professor, Dr. Joe Weatherby, who passed away in March.

Back row (l to r): Shawn Hodge, Scott Perkins, Callie Ellis, Kathryn Burns, Jessica Zaldivar, Andrea Morgan, Dane Ritcheson, Brittany Lunsford, Andrew Lambourne and Josh Rice.  Front row:  Adam Hardy and Matthew Peisker.