Southeastern Oklahoma State University is now home to a new student organization, the Southeastern Model United Nations.

The SE Model UN held their first meeting on Monday, March 29. Five students were in attendance, including one via Zoom. The countries of Brazil, Colombia, India, the United States and Zimbabwe were represented.

The organization has been a project of student Nicole Maldonado for some time now.

Maldonado, junior and international student from Colombia, is studying political science and is also on the tennis team.

Her goal for the Model United Nations is to start conversations and help other students learn about what is happening in the world. “I feel like most people live in a bubble and there are so many things going on,” Maldonado said.

“This is a great opportunity to work as a team and gain experience in public speaking,” she added. Maldonado is excited to see the organization grow as time progresses and she hopes to create an environment where students feel safe voicing their opinions and discussing with others.

“I want people to share their ideas and be open-minded,” she said. “We all have opinions and sometimes we’re afraid to say them. This is a safe space to talk about issues.”

The Model United Nations will meet every two weeks on Mondays at 6:30 p.m. in Classroom Building room 103. Everyone is welcome to attend.

For more information, contact Nicole Maldonado at (832) 546-4422 or [email protected].