Torch, Spring 2005

Model UN Team Takes Top Ratings C edarville University’s Model United Nations team brought home top honors at the Feb. 10-12 Dayton Model United Nations Conference. The 13-member Cedarville team competed against 150 other delegates from 14 regional colleges and universities, earning four of the top six awards and three of the six second- place awards. Cedarville swept the Economic and Social (ECOSOC) Committee top honors, and, in total, nine of Cedarville’s team members earned special recognition for superior preparation and negotiating skills. Cedarville’s delegates represented the United Kingdom, Italy, and South Africa on six different United Nations committees. Their task was to faithfully represent each country’s national interests and policies as they negotiated solutions to a wide variety of world problems. Cedarville’s four Outstanding Delegate awards were won by Team Captain Karla Herdzik, representing the United Kingdom on the Security Council; Courtney Butterfield, representing the United Kingdom on the European Union Committee; Joelle Marquardt, representing South Africa on the ECOSOC Committee; and Ryan Stalker, representing Italy on the Counter- Terrorism Committee. This was the second consecutive Outstanding Delegate award for both Herdzik and Butterfield. This was also the second year of awards for Marquardt; she received an Honorable Mention last year. Cedarville’s three Distinguished Delegate honors went to Ian Ellis, representing the United Kingdom in the Security Council Simulation; Jonathan Dunkin, representing the United Kingdom in the General Assembly; and Gena Bravick, representing Italy in the ECOSOC Committee. This was the second straight Model UN award for Ellis; he received an Outstanding Delegate award last year. Honorable Mention awards went to Cedarville diplomats Josh Ehrich, representing the United Kingdom on the Counter-Terrorism Committee, and Melissa Joubert, representing the United Kingdom on the ECOSOC Committee. The team effort was rounded out by performances from Nathanael Dewhurst and Andrea McCarthy, both representing Italy; and Kelli Daugherty and Geoff Peck, both representing South Africa. The team is advised by Dr. Frank Jenista, who has 25 years of experience as an American diplomat and serves as professor of international studies. Debate Team Takes First Place at Tournament T he Cedarville University Debate Team topped 17 other colleges and universities to win first place in debate at last fall’s Berea College John G. Fee Invitational in Berea, Ky. The Cedarville varsity team of Katie Sparks and Joe Dugan took second place in the finals, while the novice team of Laura Amick and Jared Doden finished as quarterfinalists. Team Coach Rebecca Sietman explained, “This was a collapsed tournament, meaning novice and varsity were in the same debate rounds. However, novice teams who did not advance into outrounds were still recognized with awards.” Novice awards for those not in outrounds went to Grant Drallette and Stephanie LoDico for first place, Ryan Bower and Matt Handley for second, and Laura Davis and Nathan Washatka for sixth. In novice debate, Laura Amick took the second place speaker award, while Handley took fourth, LoDico fifth, and Drallette sixth. In varsity debate, the first place speaker award went to Sparks, while Dugan took third, Doden fourth, and Laura Mruk sixth. In addition, the team ranked fourth place in parliamentary debate at the Feb. 5-6 Sunset Cliffs Classic. This competition, hosted by Point Loma Nazarene University (San Diego, Calif.), involved approximately 400 students. Two sets of Cedarville students finished as double octafinalists (within the top 32 teams) while another two sets were octafinalists (within the top 16 teams). Davis and Washatka were double octafinalists, as were Bower and Handley. Dugan and Nila Privedenyuk partnered to finish as octafinalists, as did the team of Mruk and Emily VanVliet. Mruk received a first place speaking award in the junior division, topping the performances of approximately 130 other students. Van Vliet took fourth place in the same event. Dr. Howard Hendricks Visits Campus D r. Howard Hendricks, distinguished professor at Dallas Theological Seminary (DTS), spoke in Cedarville University chapel on March 16-17. Hendricks, who chairs the Center for Christian Leadership, has taught at DTS for 54 years. A Christian visionary, he has been a board member for well-known Christian organizations such as Walk Thru the Bible ® , The Navigators, and Promise Keepers ® . The list of books written or co-written by Hendricks includes As Iron Sharpens Iron and Heaven Help the Home Today . Spring 2005 / TORCH 17 Women’s Choir Sings at Carnegie T wenty-one members of the Cedarville University Women’s Choir performed in New York City’s legendary Carnegie Hall on Easter Sunday. Beth Cram Porter, director of the choir, explained that the choir was one of six choruses from around the nation invited to sing under the direction of famed English composer/conductor John Rutter. With the New England Symphonic Ensemble, the women performed Rutter’s Gloria and Te Deum . This is the second time that the women’s choir has been asked to perform at Carnegie Hall.