Dr. Jeffrey S. Morton passes out a single white sheet of paper to his 16 students around the large oval conference table. On the paper are instructions.

“At 6:00 a.m. (GMT) a group of terrorists seized the international wing of the Kutchala National Airport in Nairobi, Kenya,” the paper reads. “The hostages total 147 civilians plus four military officers. The terrorist group is indirectly linked to Iran and Syria, and directly linked to the Taliban and al Qaeda. The group has made several demands including the release of prisoners and the transfer of $100 million to a Swiss bank account. For every hour that passes without a demand met, the terrorists will kill four hostages.”

The students around the conference table are assigned to represent various countries ranging from the United States to France, Kenya, Iran, Cuba, Israel and the Palestinian Liberation Organization, among others.

“OK, students,” said Dr. Morton, “you have an hour to debate the situation and vote on at least one resolution. Each participant must make at least one speech.”

So begins another Thursday in the Model United Nations course at Florida Atlantic University.

Morton has a long history with the program. “I was introduced to the Model U.N. program as a sophomore in college,” recalls Dr. Morton. “I liked the experience so much that I decided that when I had the opportunity, I would set up a similar program wherever I was to eventually teach.” Once Morton earned his Ph.D. in 1995 and was hired at FAU, he did indeed set up the program. It has been offered since 1996.

Exceptional students interested in the program apply to the Model U.N. course (INR 4503) in the spring before it is offered in the fall. Those accepted pay an added $250 to partly cover the included FAU-funded trip to Chicago at the end of the semester to participate in a nationwide Model U.N. simulation sponsored by American Model United Nations International (AMUN).

“Bringing global perspectives to future leaders,” reads the subheading of the AMUN Web site, which reflects Dr. Morton’s goal in teaching the course.

“I really want to give students the opportunity to see the world around them, while molding them into diplomatic experts,” explains Dr. Morton.Model U.N. students agree that the course is unlike any offered at FAU.

“This class is so different. It’s not like your usual class listening to lectures,” said one Fall Semester Model U.N. student, Leesa Burgess. “The class teaches you to interact with people to get your point across and to get other people to agree with that point.”

The class meets every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon in the fall to develop and improve speechwriting and speech delivery skills. Students must both deliver prepared and impromptu speeches to the class.

Students are also taught diplomatic skills through simulations held every Thursday. In the simulations, each student represents a different country from around the world trying to solve a crisis like the hostage situation in the Kenyan airport.

“You must write speeches on the spot and deliver those speeches during simulations,” said Burgess. “Simulations teach you how to get others to agree with you.”

Students in the course are faced with the added challenge of having to express the actual views of the countries they represent.

“You have to realize that you must present yourself in a way that your country would present itself, not in a way that reflects your own personal opinions,” said Mike Cabrera, a former Model U.N. student who went to Chicago in November 2003.

The capstone of the course is attending a UN conference where hundreds of other students from other universities gather to solve world crises. The 2004 Chicago conference attracted over 1,200 students from across the U.S. and around the world (amun.org). Sixteen FAU students attended the conference last semester, where they represented Lebanon and Algeria. Besides absorbing countries’ histories, students sat on committees to tackle such problems as nuclear proliferation and the spread of HIV/AIDS.

“That’s why at the beginning of the semester I require students to purchase a 3-inch thick binder which they will fill up with research on their countries and assigned committees,” said Dr. Morton. “I want my students to become experts on their countries and committee topics so they are fully prepared for Chicago and can represent FAU in a positive light.”

Students at the conference must come up ideas to solve such problems as world hunger, and persuade their committee their plan will work.

“You are in a room with over 150 students trying to convince all of them to sign on to your country’s resolution,” explains Cabrera. “It would be so time consuming to go to each individual person, that you realize early on that you have to make a speech which will present your country’s point of view. You realize that your most powerful device is your speech, in order to get everyone to come rushing to you to negotiate your resolution.”

Adds Burgess, “I think the most beneficial thing I’ve learned from taking this class is how to speak in front of large groups of people.”

Dr. Morton looks forward annually to the challenges and benefits of the trip to Chicago. “There’s always that student who has never been to a big city that is completely awestruck when we get off the plane,” recalls Dr. Morton. “But the one thing that I love to see is that extremely shy student who barely spoke over the semester really come through, find their feet, give a speech in front of hundreds of people, and eventually come out of the program as a completely different, outgoing person.”

Dr. Morton’s students also believe they reap benefits from the program which will help them throughout their lives.

“I really think this class will prepare me for my career because it teaches you how to present your point of view and persuade people you don’t know to agree with you,” said Burgess, who plans to go to law school.

“I had an excellent experience,” said Cabrera. “It’s really an eye-opener when you meet other people from all over the country and everyone is very stubborn on their own country’s views. But you learn problem solving and to work with other people, and you have fun while doing it.”