Model Arab League delegation takes first at ARMAL conference

In November, the Roanoke College Model Arab League delegation pulled away with several awards including the overall Outstanding Delegation, taking first place for the entire Appalachian Regional Model Arab League (ARMAL) conference.

The Roanoke College delegation is poised to attend the Southeast Regional Model Arab League (SERMAL) at Converse College in South Carolina and the National Model United Nations (NMUN) conference in New York next spring. 

Roanoke’s delegation represented Palestine in the 2018 ARMAL conference. Roanoke’s delegation earned an award in every committee, taking a number of Distinguished (second place) and Outstanding (first place) awards. The recognition included:

Heads of State: freshman Emily Cranford and freshman Bradley Sperl (awarded Distinguished Delegates)

Palestinian Affairs: freshman Damian Stifter and senior Ahmed Zaqout (awarded Distinguished Delegates)

Social Affairs: senior Sasha Bronder and senior Leigh Snyder (awarded Distinguished Delegates)

Environmental Affairs: freshman Ryan Denholm and freshman Simon Gardehl (awarded Outstanding Delegates)

Political Affairs: senior Paul Manville and sophomore Mary Rose Stark (awarded Outstanding Delegates)

Congratulations to the Roanoke College students and their advisor, Dr. Joshua Rubongoya, professor of political science.  

Model Arab League (MAL) is the National Council on U.S.-Arab Relations’ flagship student leadership development program. The Models are similar in organization and format to the older and more widely recognized Model United Nations (MUN), with its 193 member states. The MAL focuses only on the 22 member states that comprise the League of Arab States. Established in February 1945, and thereby pre-dating the founding of the United Nations, the Arab League is the world’s oldest regional political organization dedicated to, among other things, the diplomatic and peaceful settlement of disputes. MAL provides primarily American but also Arab and other international students opportunities to develop invaluable leadership skills. This incomparable opportunity allows emerging leaders to learn firsthand what it is like to put themselves in the shoes of real-life Arab diplomats and other foreign affairs practitioners.