By Nic Longstreet
The Foreign Affairs Club has been meeting for over 20 years at Grand Rapids Community College, solving the world’s issues through Model United Nations in the fall and then expanding into the Model Arab League in the winter semester.
Representatives of the student organization plan to go to Chicago to attend a Model UN conference simulation, representing a specific country and serving on a committee focusing on a specific area of problems. Then in the winter semester there is a Model Arab League conference that is held in downtown Grand Rapids at Grand Valley State University.
Zach Danevicz, the president of the club, says he looks forward to expanding the club’s reach and making it so that they can “have more of a presence on campus” which for him includes collaboration with other clubs, holding fundraisers and other activities to promote the club.
The club practices writing resolutions and talking over current events, although they “try not to do segmented politics,” Danevicz said.
One of the requirements to join the club is an essay to display your skills. However, Danevicz noted that, “we’re open to everyone at the school.”
Danevicz joined last fall and served as vice president last winter. He said he really enjoys being part of the organization and traveling to conferences with his peers.
“…Going to conferences really brings the club together,” he said. ”We hang out.”
For treasurer Avery Gilhuly, she was already interested in foreign affairs, so she got involved after seeing that GRCC already had a way to keep that up. Gilhuly stated in a text texted to the Collegiate, “I’ve found that I’ve been able to expand my knowledge in regards to open communication and collaboration with peers.”
There is, however, a commitment that is involved with the club to ensure people dedicated to the club will follow through and go with them to the scheduled events, so as to avoid money going to waste.
The club meets on Wednesdays at Sneden Hall at GRCC’s Devos Campus from 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. You can find them on Instagram @foreignaffairsgrcc.
