Ross Rustici - SCUSA 59
The 59th Student Conference on
United States
Affairs was entitled Uncertain Future: Freedom, Security, and Responsibility.
This theme is fitting given the major shifts in international affairs that have
been taking place over the past decade. I was a member of the China, Japan, and Korea table.
Given the unique challenges that this region presents, the several days of
discussion leading up to the writing of our policy paper was extremely
interesting. This conference truly does draw some of the most knowledgeable
people from around the world. Because of the immense talent and knowledge
gathered in one room, this conference is one of the best places to learn about
the topics that I am truly passionate about. The amount of different view
points, perspectives and backgrounds not only challenges what I personally think
about the issue at hand, but also gave me and all the participants practical
experience in coming together and compromising on viewpoints. The fact that the
point of the conference is to complete a policy paper regarding the topic of
your round table, means that everyone must come to some sort of majority
consensus. This is something that most students do not have much of an
opportunity to experience and as such for these academic reasons alone the
conference is a great experience.
Beyond the academic rewards of the conference, the social aspect also
makes it a great experience. The other delegates to the conference, besides
being very knowledgeable about International Relations and their selected
topics, are some great people. Living in the dorms at West
Point
is also a unique experience that very few people can ever claim. West Point and the Hudson Valley
are very beautiful places, especially during the end of fall. It is very
interesting to see how the Cadets live and learn in contrast to the environment
in which they live. Overall, the whole experience is great socially and
academically. It is something that everyone should try to experience.
