- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

��Vlog��ý Little Rock students get taste of life in Morocco

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 17 Dec 2019 13:48:11 +0000

The 17 University of Arkansas at Little Rock students who traveled abroad to Morocco returned with lifelong friendships, cultural and leadership experience, and memories that will last a lifetime.�� The students competed at the International Model Arab League, a student leadership program that simulates the League of Arab States, at the Université International de Rabat in Morocco in October. After the conference, the students went on a cultural tour of Morocco, including camel rides and camping in the Merzouga Desert.�� “Camels are like a weird combination of horses and cats,” said Nikki Partlow-Loyall, junior political science major. “When you go down a hill, you are holding on for dear life. I learned not to put my hands near the camel’s mouth because they spit a lot.”�� Since the trip was Partlow-Loyall’s first time participating in Model Arab League, she spent months preparing for her role as a delegate for Morocco.�� “The most exciting part of the trip was the first day of the conference,” she said. “I have never done model anything before, so I spent months studying the handbook and doing so much research. I was very nervous on the first day, but I found myself confidant working with the other delegates. I wouldn’t have changed anything about the trip.”�� Issac Thomas, sophomore political science and history major, enjoyed experiencing a new culture during his first trip abroad.�� “The most exciting thing beyond a shadow of a doubt was interacting with the local people and hearing them speak their local dialects,” Thomas said. “I couldn’t understand any of it, but it makes you realize you are in the old world and in the heart of ancient traditions.”�� Thomas was so moved by the kindness and generosity he saw in Morocco that he would like to study abroad there in the future.�� “I like to meet people from all different parts of the world,” Thomas said. “To me, there is nothing more boring than living the same life when you can meet different people and have new experiences. There is an overall feeling of friendliness in Morocco. I would love to study abroad in Rabat because it really made an impression.”�� Solomon “Rap’hael” Davis, a senior philosophy and international studies major, will forever be touched by the lifelong friendships he made with roommates at the International Model Arab League.�� “The most powerful part of the trip for me was the people I met while in Morocco and the relationships I built during the trip,” Davis said. “My roommates were Martin, a French Jamaican who lives in Canada, and Abdul, a Nigerian man who lives in Morocco. We became very good friends over the trip.”�� Davis was surprised by the instant connection that he felt with people he’s only known for a short amount of time.�� “When we got back from Morocco at the airport, I took out my cell phone, and I had two very heartwarming messages from Martin and Abdul,” he said. “It really means a lot to me that these two people I met two weeks ago cared enough to see if I made it home safely. Abdul called me his ‘friend and brother.’ I almost started crying. These connections are so natural that I am sure the friendships will last a lifetime.”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock students win awards at International Model Arab League

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 03 Dec 2019 20:44:43 +0000

Two University of Arkansas at Little Rock students took home awards for their diplomatic efforts at the International Model Arab League. Sydney Brazil, philosophy major, won the Outstanding Delegate Award for her notable efforts representing the country of Tunisia on the Council of Social Affairs ministers.�� Madison Rodgers, a junior political science major, received an honorable mention in the Outstanding Delegate category for her excellent work representing the Sultanate of Oman on the Council of Economic Affairs. They were among 17 ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students who competed in the international competition for university students from Oct. 19-22 at the Université International de Rabat in Morocco. ��“I was so grateful for this opportunity,” Rodgers said. “Traveling to Morocco was truly life-changing and gave me a whole new perspective on how I look at life. I had never won an award at a Model Arab League conference before, and I put in a lot of work during this conference in pursuit of one. I will remember it forever.”�� The major issues Rodger’s council discussed included addressing economic inequality and job insecurity in the region.�� “We also discussed how to expand non-oil sectors in order to diversify the region’s economies,” Rodgers said. “Arab citizens are all affected by economic inequalities and job insecurity and that affects the overall economy. Diversifying the economy is very important because if the demand for oil begins to shrink, this will cause a drop off in many Arab, oil-based economies, so other avenues need to be explored.”�� The Model Arab League is a student leadership development program created by the. It is a simulation of an international organization, the League of Arab States, which represents 22 countries. In the upper right image, Model Arab League Advisor Rebecca Glazier (middle) poses with Sydney Brazil (left) and Madison Rogers (right), who won awards at the International Model Arab League in Morocco.

��Vlog��ý Little Rock to share Moroccan adventures with community, honor Miguel Lopez

Ajani Oyindamola — Fri, 01 Nov 2019 15:41:14 +0000

The University of Arkansas at Little Rock will host a community event on Friday, Nov. 8, recounting the adventures of 17 students who competed at the International Model Arab League conference in Morocco in October.�� The community event, free and open to the public, will take place from 5-8 p.m. at ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Downtown, 333 President Clinton Ave., Little Rock.�� The Model Arab League is a student leadership development program created by the. It is a simulation of an international organization, the League of Arab States, which represents 22 countries. From Oct. 17-26, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students served as representatives of Sudan, Kuwait, Oman, Tunisia, and Morocco in the conference simulation, followed by a cultural immersion in Morocco. ��Vlog��ý Little Rock’s School of Public Affairs will present the inaugural ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Model Arab League Alumni Excellence Award to Miguel Lopez, Hispanic resource officer for First Community Bank. Lopez graduated from ��Vlog��ý Little Rock with a bachelor’s degree in political science, graduate certificate in nonprofit management, and master’s degree in public administration. As an active member in the community, Lopez serves on the boards of ��Vlog��ý Little Rock Alumni Board, Just Communities of Arkansas, Harmony Health Clinic, Museum of Discovery, and Goodwill of Arkansas Education Initiatives. “Miguel Lopez is an outstanding ��Vlog��ý Little Rock alum who attended our first trip to the International Model Arab League in Morocco in 2016,” Glazier said. “Since then, Miguel has become an active community leader. We hope that hearing about his journey will serve as an inspiration to students who hope to become leaders like him.”

��Vlog��ý Little Rock students ride camels while camping in the Moroccan desert. Photo by Larry Rhodes.

The event will also feature a silent auction with items brought back from Morocco, including hand-crafted rugs, jewelry, tea glasses, pottery, and scarves. Framed photographs from Morocco taken by Larry Rhodes, learning technology coordinator in the College of Social Sciences and Communication, will also be available for sale. All funds raised from the silent auction will go to the creation of a new scholarship fund to help students who have participated in Model Arab League simulations study abroad. First Community Bank has generously donated $2,500 toward the new scholarship. In the upper right photo, ��Vlog��ý Little Rock students visit the Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco, the largest mosque in Africa. Photo by Larry Rhodes.

��Vlog��ýLR students take home International Model Arab League awards

Ajani Oyindamola — Thu, 08 Dec 2016 14:49:49 +0000

A group of 15 University of Arkansas at Little Rock and Clinton School of Public Service students who attended the International Model Arab League in Morocco brought home several awards for their diplomatic efforts.�� The Model Arab League is a student leadership development program created by the. It is a simulation of an international organization, the League of Arab States, which represents 22 countries. The conference was held Nov. 9-13 at the Université International de Rabat, where ��Vlog��ýLR students acted as representatives of Somalia, Iraq, and Qatar. Among the award winners were Zach Glembin, distinguished delegate for the Environmental Committee; Nora Bouzihay, outstanding delegate for Social Affairs Committee, and Joseph Jones, outstanding delegate for the Joint Defense Council. Several students also received honorable mentions for their work, including Brian Gregory, honorable mention for Social Affairs Committee; Miguel Lopez, honorable mention for Joint Defense Council; and Brittany Kirtley, honorable mention for Environmental Committee. “The students discussed all kinds of important issues in their committees from refugees to water scarcity to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,” said Dr. Rebecca Glazier, director of the ��Vlog��ýLR Model Arab League and associate professor of political science, who led the trip. “They proposed thoughtfully researched and sometimes creative solutions and passed resolutions that had the support of the majority of their committee.”

The students who won awards at the International United Arab League include: Back Row: (L to R) Zachary Glembin, Brian Gregory, and Joseph Jones. Front Row (L to R): Miguel Lopez, Nora Bouzihay, Brittany Kirtley, and Dr. Rebecca Glazier.

The students spent three days exploring Morocco, including riding camels and camping in the Sahara Desert. Gregory, a political science major who has been involved in Model Arab League for seven years, called the trip a highlight of his life. “Getting to interact with the students in Morocco, talking about how they live their lives, playing soccer and basketball with them, and then going to the desert and riding a camel and worrying if you will fall off the camel when it walks up a sand dune was a rush,” Gregory said. Amelia Loken, a senior studying interpretation for the deaf, was glad to have the opportunity to study abroad. As a nontraditional student with five sons, Loken cannot participate in study abroad trips that take weeks or months. But she was thankful for the trip to Morocco that proved to be unforgettable. “One of the things I treasure the most is when we went out in the desert,” Loken said. “The beauty of the desert was amazing. I went to the top of the dune to see the sunrise. Being able to see this wide expansive sky that was bigger than anything I had ever seen was a spiritual experience. This is an opportunity I never thought would come my way.” Thanks to support from the ��Vlog��ýLR Middle Eastern Studies program and the Université International de Rabat, each student only paid $700 for the trip, including flights, meals, accommodations, transportation, conference fees, and activities. The students kept a daily blog of their adventures in Morocco that can be viewed on the School of Public Affairs website. In the upper right photo,��Vlog��ýLR student Andrea Elias rides a camel through the Moroccan desert during a trip to the International Model Arab League in Morocco. ��

International Model Arab League participants will hold panel discussion on Morocco trip

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 22 Nov 2016 15:32:12 +0000

Dr. Rebecca Glazier, faculty advisor to the ��Vlog��ýLR Model Arab League and associate professor of political science, recently returned from leading 15 University of Arkansas at Little Rock and Clinton School of Public Service students to the International Model Arab League in Morocco.�� The group will tell all about their adventures in Morocco during a panel discussion at 5:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 28, in Donaghey Student Center Room 214 A. The Model Arab League is a student leadership development program created by the. It is a simulation of an international organization, the League of Arab States, which represents 22 countries. The conference was held Nov. 9-13 at the Université International de Rabat, where ��Vlog��ýLR students acted as representatives of Somalia, Iraq, and Qatar. Many of the students won awards for the representation of their countries.��Zach Glembin won distinguished delegate for the Environmental Committee; Nora Bouzihay won outstanding delegate for Social Affairs Committe, and Joseph Jones won outstanding delegate for the Joint Defense Council. Also, Brian Gregory won honorable mention for Social Affairs Committee, Miguel Lopez won honorable mention for Joint Defense Council, and Brittany Kirtley won honorable mention for the Environmental Committee. The students attending the Model Arab League included Alexandra Barnes, Nora Bouzihay, Natasha Burch, Robert Cole, Naty Doris, Andrea Elias, Zachary Glembin, Brian Gregory, Joseph Jones, Brittany Kirtley, Amelia Loken, Miguel Lopez, Emily Powell, Rhett Smith, and Demas Soliman. After the conference, the students spent three days exploring Morocco, including riding camels in the Sahara desert. The students kept a daily blog of their adventures in Morocco that can be viewed on the School of Public Affairs website. The event is sponsored by the School of Public Affairs and the Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies program. For more information, contact Glazier at 569-3331 or raglazier@ualr.edu.�� In the upper right photo,��Vlog��ýLR student Andrea Elias rides a camel through the Moroccan desert during a trip to the International Model Arab League in Morocco. Photo by��Larry Rhodes.

- University News Archive - ����Vlog��ý Little Rock

����Vlog��ý Little Rock students get taste of life in Morocco

����Vlog��ý Little Rock students win awards at International Model Arab League