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By Bella Beilman
At SCUSA (Student Conference for United States’ Affairs), held at the United States Military Academy, this year, I was a part of the Middle East and Northern Africa discussion table. I suppose I should have assumed that if you willingly sign up to talk about the Middle East and Northern Africa for three days, you probably are informed and passionate about the region.
Upon arrival we were taken into a giant, dark wood hall to check into the conference. I was pushed into the arms of a short female cadet named Rachel who would be in my table. Once the whole table had gathered together in this massive and decadent room, we were taken on a tour of the historic and expansive campus and shown our rooms.
Our first table meeting was held in the library in a gorgeous view overlooking the Hudson River. We all introduced ourselves, describing where we were from, where we attended university, our area of study (almost everyone studying the Middle East) and a fun fact. It was important to start this way for multiple reasons. Starting in a friendly, informative way not only allowed us strangers to get to know each other, but also showed us that we likely have more in common than we would have imagined. It was unifying.
The table then went on to explore, specifically, the United States’ foreign policy interests in the Middle East and Northern Africa. By looking at the Middle East in the context of the US’s interests in the region, we were all able to agree. Whereas, if we had started by discussing one country individually or even just by talking about the region, it could have possibly become a divisive and hostile environment.
Another notable aspect of why I believe we worked together well is the mutual respect we held for each other during the extent of the conference. This is due to the concept of the conference as a whole, it is a program meant to bring bright students together. We held each other in a certain esteem, stemming from the framing of the conference as a whole.
The importance of intentionality has never been more clear to me than it was at West Point. They do everything with great thought, never acting before they think through every possible scenario. This is a lesson I needed to be slapped across the face with this year. I am grateful to experience it.
Bella Beilman is a McConnell Scholar in the Class of 2022. She is studying economics, political science, and Middle Eastern and Islamic studies at the University of Louisville.
Imagine you are sitting in a conference room with 24 other people talking about a common and extremely divisive topic. Most of you are admittedly undergraduate subject experts on the topic, everyone but one even speaking an uncommon foreign language linked to the topic. As you sit around a square of tables looking at each other, you begin to realize that every single person in the room has an extremely varied past. There were students from California, Kentucky, Georgia, South Korea, and even Iran.
At SCUSA (Student Conference for United States’ Affairs), held at the United States Military Academy, this year, I was a part of the Middle East and Northern Africa discussion table. I suppose I should have assumed that if you willingly sign up to talk about the Middle East and Northern Africa for three days, you probably are informed and passionate about the region.
However, I didn’t realize the importance of the order of events at the conference until I was
more than half way home.
Upon arrival we were taken into a giant, dark wood hall to check into the conference. I was pushed into the arms of a short female cadet named Rachel who would be in my table. Once the whole table had gathered together in this massive and decadent room, we were taken on a tour of the historic and expansive campus and shown our rooms.
Our first table meeting was held in the library in a gorgeous view overlooking the Hudson River. We all introduced ourselves, describing where we were from, where we attended university, our area of study (almost everyone studying the Middle East) and a fun fact. It was important to start this way for multiple reasons. Starting in a friendly, informative way not only allowed us strangers to get to know each other, but also showed us that we likely have more in common than we would have imagined. It was unifying.
The table then went on to explore, specifically, the United States’ foreign policy interests in the Middle East and Northern Africa. By looking at the Middle East in the context of the US’s interests in the region, we were all able to agree. Whereas, if we had started by discussing one country individually or even just by talking about the region, it could have possibly become a divisive and hostile environment.
Another notable aspect of why I believe we worked together well is the mutual respect we held for each other during the extent of the conference. This is due to the concept of the conference as a whole, it is a program meant to bring bright students together. We held each other in a certain esteem, stemming from the framing of the conference as a whole.
The importance of intentionality has never been more clear to me than it was at West Point. They do everything with great thought, never acting before they think through every possible scenario. This is a lesson I needed to be slapped across the face with this year. I am grateful to experience it.
Bella Beilman is a McConnell Scholar in the Class of 2022. She is studying economics, political science, and Middle Eastern and Islamic studies at the University of Louisville.