If you'd like to view this email in a Web browser, please click here
Forward this mailing
Dear Arthur,

We have information in this newsletter about:

1, Yesterday's meeting of new Middle School faculty advisors.
2. Next Saturday's high school country draft, workshop, and discussion group.
3. More comprehensive information on the upcoming "Global Solutions, Local Connections" in Santa Fe.
4. A new survey on priorities in rebuilding ravaged hurricane-hit areas.

Civitas Home Page


New Middle School teachers are introduced to program!

Yesterday, we had our first Middle School faculty meeting for teachers who are new to the program. We are most thankful to Kris Liesmann (Northwest Valley Middle), Stephen Mouser (Crossroads), Michelle Binuyo (Remington Traditional School -- Pattonville), Lori Thomas (Hoech Middle School -- Ritenour) and Jessye Stevensen (McKinley Classical Junior Academy) for attending and joining the program.

We covered the general purposes and goals of the program, the roles of faculty advisors, and important information for students such as the process by which they become delegates. We reviewed information about our Fall workshop, the country draft, and writing resolutions.


Our next two events are:

1. Monday, October 10, 4:00 - 5:00 PM -- meeting for all teachers. Agenda includes selection of spring dates for the Model U.N. sessions as well as the country draft. [Creve Coeur Government Center].

2. Wednesday, November 16, 9:00 AM - 11:30 AM -- student and teacher workshop on how to prepare to be a Model U.N. delegate. [Chase-Park Plaza Hotel].

Should any teacher have any questions, they can contact:

1. The Civitas office [(314) 367-6480) or [email protected]] or
2. Lisa Granich-Kovarik [(314) 865-4704 or [email protected]].
Map and Directions to Creve Coeur Government Center



High School Country Draft, Workshop, & Discussion this Saturday, Oct. 1!

This Saturday, October 1, we will be holding our high school country draft at Crossroads School (map below) from 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM. This is the occasion when students select the countries that they want their schools to represent in our November 19 Model U.N. session as well as any other possible model U.N. sessions that we would have in the spring. The country draft is one of our more structured activities, so we suggest that all potential participants read the details of the draft in our next article.

Following the draft, we'll have a short workshop on how the model U.N. operates. We want participants to know what the basic responsibilities of delegates are, how the committee system works, how to balance the needs of your country versus those of the world, and how to use, but not abuse, the simple rules of the sessions.

If we have time, we will finish the morning with a discussion group. Possible topics include President Bush's ability (or inability) to lead the nation through crisis, should New Orleans be rebuilt, does anybody know anything about the winter Olympics coming up in four months, and what about the Fall TV season.

First, we want to once again thank the many fine high school students who came to our third discussion group of the year on Saturday, September 17. We had a number of new students from Incarnate Word Academy, Jennings High School, Maplewood-Richmond Heights High School, S.L.U.H., Metro High School, and Lindbergh High School. We look forward to even more students at this week's meeting when we have our Country Draft and well as a brief workshop on how a model U.N. works.

At the bottom of this article, we have links to photos and video from recent events.


Map and Directions to Crossroads School


Photos!


Streaming Video!



How the Country Draft Works



Each year, high schools in the Gateway Model United Nations "draft" or select the countries which they will represent. In 2005, the draft will be held on October 1 at Crossroads School from 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM. We will also have a short workshop on how to be an effective delegate following the country draft.
Here is how the draft works:
1. The name of each participating school in the Model U.N. will be written on a piece of paper and placed in a hat.
2. A "distinguished" member of our secretariat (staff) will draw a piece of paper from the hat.
3. The name of the school on that piece of paper will be the school that has the first draft pick of the day.
4. The staff member will continue to pull pieces of paper out of the hat and the drafting order will be determined by the order in which the names are pulled.
5. The first round of the draft will then take place. In the first round, all schools will be allowed to select a country that will be on the Security Council. Since there are only fifteen members on the real Security Council (five permanent and ten non-permanent), we will allow other countries to serve on the Security Council so that there will be one for each school. After the first fifteen real Security Council members are taken, we will then work to maintain a geographical balance of the other new members. Links to the lists of the 15 Security Council members and the 189 General Assembly members are at the bottom of the newsletter..
6. After the first round, the order of selection will be reversed in the second round. This is to minimize the "penalty" on schools that drafted late in the first round.
7. The drafting order will be reversed in each subsequent round.
8. Each school selects countries for as many rounds as it wants countries. In each subsequent round, only the schools wanting more countries will select.




Global Solutions, Local Connections Conference in Santa Fe!

College students, & high-school seniors and juniors--
We invite you to enter a contest to participate in a
national conference in Sante Fe, New Mexico.

"GLOBAL SOLUTIONS, LOCAL CONNECTIONS: MAKING THE GLOBAL LOCAL,
ONE ACTIVIST AT A TIME"

N O V E M B E R 4 - 6, 2 0 0 5

______________________________________________________________________________________

HEAR PRESENTATIONS AND JOIN IN DISCUSSIONS ON:

HOW & WHY THE U.S. SHOULD BE MORE OF A "GLOBAL TEAM PLAYER"
HOW THE U.N. MUST BE CHANGED TO BECOME MORE EFFECTIVE
WHY LOCAL ISSUES ARE ALSO GLOBAL ISSUES
THE CRITICAL WORK OF THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT

PARTICIPATE IN THE SECOND ANNUAL MEETING OF THE
POLITICALLY ACTIVE CITIZENS FOR GLOBAL SOLUTIONS
__________________________________________________________________________

Citizens for Global Solutions of Greater St. Louis will provide transportation, registration, meals, & lodging at the La Fonda Hotel in Santa Fe, New Mexico for a college student or a high-school junior or senior to attend this national convention.
The conference begins at 8:30 a.m. Friday, November 4, so you should be able to leave St. Louis Thursday evening. It ends at noon Sunday, November 6, so you could be back by that night. Getting to & from the St. Louis airport is your responsibility.
If you want to be a contestant for this all-expenses-paid trip, write a 3-5 page typed essay (double-spaced) consisting of two parts. In the first part tell us about your background and why you would be a good person for us to send to this meeting. In the second part share with us your thinking about some of the problems our world community faces and how we might deal with them more effectively.
____________________________________________________________________

In exchange for this subsidy C/GS of St. Louis expects you to give us a brief written report about
the conference & what you learned from it. (This gets published in our local newsletter.)

Send your essay to:
Ronald J. Glossop, 8894 Berkay Avenue, Jennings, MO 63136-5004
or preferably by e-mail to:
Be sure to include your home address and home telephone number.

For more information, call (314) 869-2303.

Deadline: October 17, 2005. Winner will be notified by October 19, 2005.
Link to Conference Web Page



Survey on Today's Feminism Movement


Among the structures demolished in Hurricanes Katrina and Rita were a number of casinos in Louisiana and Texas.

Some people feel that casinos should be among the first facilities rebuilt because they provide jobs and needed tax revenue.

Others feel that the casinos should be among the last items to be rebuilt because housing, schools, hospitals, etc. are more important and with few tourists in the areas in the near future, casinos will be mainly patronized by poor people who can least afford to lose money when gambling.

Do you think that casinos should be among the first facilities to be rebuilt in the hurricane-hit areas?

Survey on Rebuilding Casinos in Hurricane-hit areas



Previous Survey Results!


Last newsletter's question was:

Survey on Today's Feminism


Today's New York Times has an article by Louise Story entitled "Many Women at Elite Colleges Set Career Path to Motherhood." The text includes the following: At Yale and other top colleges, women are being groomed to take their place in an ever more diverse professional elite. It is almost taken for granted that, just as they make up half the students at these institutions, they will move into leadership roles on an equal basis with their male classmates. There is just one problem with this scenario: many of these women say that is not what they want. Many women at the nation's most elite colleges say they have already decided that they will put aside their careers in favor of raising children. Though some of these students are not planning to have children and some hope to have a family and work full time, many others, like Ms. Liu, say they will happily play a traditional female role, with motherhood their main commitment. Do you think that the trend described in this article reflects a weakening of the feminist movement?


Responses:

1. Yes 1 (8%)

2. No 11 (84%)

3. Not Sure 1 (8%)



COMMENTS ON THE ISSUE

Comments on Feminism


Maurice Harris; Knox College, 2008; Metro High School, 2004

I thought the goal of feminism was to give women a choice on how they want to lead their lives, so from reading that quote, I believe that feminism is not weakened at all. It shows that some women want to be full time mothers, which is not an easy job at all. So I think no one should be critical of a women's right to choose! No pun intended. Your Happy Conservative: Maurice


Katelyn Jones; Lindbergh High School, 2007

The role of women in society is just becoming more of interest. I honestly believe that the article is just throwing out the statistic--it's only of one female population from an elite school, therefore the trend can not be applied to the GENERAL female population. Besides, recent statistics from across the globe that most definitely have more validity show that women are becoming more career oriented and families are actually getting smaller. To use this article to support the view that feminism is decreasing, is ludicrous and could easily be shot down (Especially since it's WRONG :) ).


Patty Rodriguez; Parkway North High School, 2009

I don't think this trend reflects a weakening in the feminist movement, simply because I don't believe that those women are a part of the feminist movement. I do believe that they are weakening the effects of the feminist movement. The feminist movement is what ENABLED them to get into those colleges, and I feel that they are abusing the privilege by attending only to give it all up as soon as they get pregnant. I'm not saying that this is a wrong ideal, simply that if they don't plan on following through on their education, they shouldn't steal someone else's potential spot.


Anna Nickless; Lindbergh High School, 2007

So long as women are given the opportunity to choose, then the feminist movement has achieved its primary purpose. I would say that rather than weakening, feminism it is gradually becoming an integrated part of our nation's mindset. Thus what would have been considered "extreme feminism" decades ago is now taken for granted as a right. What seems to be the trouble is a contemporary definition of feminism and a lack of, for lack of a better word, male-ism! Women still have an extremely long way to go before being completely accepted as equals in the workplace, but the few women who would rather have a family than a career are practically being pointed to as an example of their incompetence. What about men who would rather stay home? Are they even given that choice in today's society? It's practically unacceptable. On the other hand, any man reading this who is thinking that being a stay-at-home dad would be a living nightmare, just remember that many women feel the same way about homemaking. It all depends on the individual and it's about time that feminism fused with the overall fight for absolute equality. Above all, we shouldn't be afraid to re-evaluate the traditional roles of men alongside those of women.


Anthony Keel; S.L.U.H., 2006

No offense to anyone who might call themselves feminist or think of coming after me if I say this, but feminism is dangerous and detrimental to the family. I believe it is good to an extent and proper for women to be treated equal to men. However, I believe it is most important in a child's life to have a parent (preferably a mother) to stay home with them or work part time during their childhood. I think if both parents work full time, they cannot give proper attention to their children, and this is I think a major factor in why our world is so screwed up. Children need to be loved and instilled with proper morals, and with feminist "we come first" philosophy, it only hurts this greater cause. Women want to stay home more now, so I think this radical feminism is dying.


Katie Fanning; Lindbergh High School, 2008

The point of the feminist movement is to allow women to choose if they want to have a role outside of motherhood, not to take away their choice of motherhood.


Alison Reed; Rosati-Kain High School, 2008

The fact that American women of today have a CHOICE between pursuing a profession or motherhood (or both) shows how far we have come. I don't think that the women's movement is strictly about disdaining traditional institutions, such as marriage or motherhood. Rather, it is about empowering women with the freedom to decide for themselves what jobs and responsibilities they want to take on. So, I don't think this article reflects a weakening of feminism - If anything, it shows the strengthening and maturation of the movement.

Abigail Henderson; Fox High School, 2010

I think any time it is your duty, your job to do something, it is not as fun as if you choose to do it. Just ask any kid with chores! Women now have the right to be leaders, but that doesn't mean all of them want it. Even back in the early 1900s, there were women who would rather be mothers and housewives; we just don't learn about them. I think just because women have the right to do something doesn't make them obligated to do it, does it?










Additional Links


Photo Gallery

Streaming Video [Real Media]

Civitas Calendar

Civitas Intranets Site

Civitas Home Page

Maps & Directions
Previous Newsletters

Resolutions (High School U.N.) for 2004-2005

Checklist for Writing a Model U.N. Resolution

General Assembly Countries
Security Counci Countries
232 No. Kingshighway, #2101; St. Louis, MO 63108-4002
|
Generated by
Learn more