SEMO students prepare for foreign policy conference

The preparation for a weeklong immersion in international policy was overwhelming mentally.

"They just kind of seemed like insurmountable problems," said junior Christina Vitale, one of 35 Southeast Missouri State University students chosen to participate in a policy study in Washington, D.C., during spring break.

After reading background articles on global issues, Vitale said, she was depressed by the challenges they would be addressing. She soon found out she was not alone.

During a weeklong study of policy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the group broke down global policies and problems with experts. They came back to Southeast and finished the semester analyzing global issues. The exercise, she said, made the challenges seem more manageable.

The students' work will peak at a conference at River Campus on Monday. Vitale and her group will present ideas about the growing influence of Brazil and Latin America. Five other groups will give solutions to issues like climate change, terrorism and nuclear policy.

The third annual Regional Conference on Global Issues will also feature speakers from the think tank. The keynote speakers will be the center's director of educational outreach, Karen Meacham, and Thomas Sanderson, deputy director and senior fellow for the center's Transnational Threats Project.

After working with policy experts in the capital, the students are ready to answer questions from all angles, said Dr. Sophia Scott, a professor in the Department of Industrial and Engineering Technology. Scott is one of four professors participating in the project.

During their stay, students heard presentations from scholars and experts, participated in a mock United Nations meeting and created policy during a simulated cyberterrorism attack.

Vice provost Fred Janzow said the program gives students a broader view of the world and a sense of their role.

"Whether a student is from education, is from the science, is from the liberal arts makes no difference," he said. "They will all during their lives have to deal with these issues."

He said the program has inspired some students to return to Washington, D.C., to continue policy studies.

The Regional Conference on Global Issues begins at 8 a.m. Monday at the Bedell Performance Hall. Student presentations begin at 9:20 a.m. and continue until 2:50 p.m.

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