LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ -- Eleven students from varying backgrounds and academic pursuits have come together to form the 30th Rider University team to compete in the annual National Model United Nations (NMUN) competition in New York City from Tuesday, March 25 through Saturday, March 29, 1997.

The NMUN is designed to give students a simulated experience of how the U.N. General Assembly and other international organizations handle and resolve world problems and issues. Each participating school is assigned a U.N. member state to represent, depending on the size of the team, and students are delegated into committees. The committees, consisting of no more than two students per school, each have on their agenda three issues of global concern for research, debate, and negotiation in order to arrive at resolutions acceptable to a majority of delegations.

"We'll be doing things like debating and caucusing over issues, as countries actually do at the U.N.," said delegation leader Amy Zirneklis, a senior majoring in political science. "The main goal is to develop compromises and consensus among delegations."

The student delegates will meet daily at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Manhattan from Tuesday through Friday. On the final Saturday of competition, delegation leaders in the General Assembly plenary committee will convene in the actual United Nations chambers to discuss topics including representation by China and Taiwan, problems of underdevelopment and finance, and the cooperation between regional security structures and the U.N.

Rider will be representing the small island nation of Trinidad and Tobago in the mock conference. Unlike the actual United Nations structure, however, all NMUN teams begin at the same level of power and influence.

"In the real world, little countries can't be leaders or take initiatives," said Dr. Chau T. Phan, professor of political science and NMUN faculty adviser. "In the Model U.N. conference, it all depends on how well prepared delegates are and how well they negotiate with other delegations."

In preparation for the challenges they will face in competition, delegates have been doing research and simulations, each week debating a topic assigned to a committee. For these preparations and the actual competition in New York, the students will earn three credits in political science. They are given insight into the functions of the United Nations while preserving their own interests and learning to cooperate with others in hands-on negotiations.

The project requires broad interest in international relations and strong dedication. According to student and alumni evaluations, those involved with the program refer to it as their most worthwhile college experience.

"Every year we start out with about 40 names, and I approach each student," said Dr. Phan. "Most students find that it's too much sacrifice -- for three credits, students do a tremendous amount of work on topics that are esoteric. It's a lot more demanding than a regular class.

"But many students who have taken the course consider it relevant to their success in life. The ability to get people to come together to solve a common problem is what is pointed to by our alumni as being the most useful learning experience."

Last year's NMUN competition attracted over 2,000 students representing 170 colleges and universities from North America, Europe, and Japan. Delegations from Rider University have been cited for numerous awards over the past 29 years, including the top honor of being named "Outstanding Delegation" four times since 1974.

"The last year Rider won 'Outstanding Delegation' we also represented Trinidad and Tobago," said Dr. Phan. "Hopefully, that is a good sign for this year."

Rider University is a private, non-sectarian, co-educational institution with a 353-acre main campus in Lawrenceville, NJ, and a 23-acre campus in Princeton, NJ. The University offers professional curricula in five academic units -- the Colleges of Business Administration, Education and Human Services, Liberal Arts and Science, Continuing Studies, and Westminster Choir College. Undergraduate programs are offered in 47 areas and graduate programs in 15 specialties. More than 90 percent of the faculty hold doctoral degrees. In addition, U.S. News and World Report again ranks Rider in the top tier of northern universities based on the quality of its programs.