By sunrise Nov. 6, 79 Cornell students and faculty members were halfway to the United Nations in New York City, where they would spend the day touring the organization's headquarters and interacting with a panel of U.N. experts on such student-proposed topics as peacekeeping, human rights, sustainable development and climate change, and job and volunteer opportunities.

In the panel discussion, Ari Gaitanis, of the U.N. Department of Peacekeeping Operations, recalled checking for bombs under his car each day during a mission in Lebanon. David Marshall, of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, expressed the bleakness he feels regarding certain cases. For some victims of human rights violations in Sudan, he "[doesn't] expect justice anytime soon."

"[The trip] is meant to give meaning to our local and global worlds, which are always intertwined," said N'Dri Assié-Lumumba, professor of Africana studies, who has planned the expedition annually since 2004. "It gives students the chance to explore the diversity of the world, find striking things they wouldn't think of usually, yet reflect on the quest for humanity and equality common to us all."

Panelist Lauren Anderson, of the U.N.'s Division for Sustainable Development, talked about the "overlapping agenda" between climate change, human rights, food crises and other key issues of international development. "You can never talk about one development problem without looking at the others," she said.

"The U.N. is big, and the U.N. is diversified," remarked panelist Suren Shahinyan, of the Office of Human Resources Management. He recommended students study the U.N.'s Web site for opportunities within the organization. Besides the wide spectrum of U.N. specialized agencies and programs, the international arm of the U.N. has more than 40,000 employees worldwide. He added, "An internship is probably the best way to get to know the U.N." However, joining the U.N. as an already established professional also can be a major asset, said Marshall.

Panelists Aicha Abdoulhanzis and Kari Skjelbred, recruitment officers, also shared their experiences of being recruited through the U.N. job competition exam.

"Despite all the black and gray suits in front of you, the U.N. is a lot of fun," added Gaitanis, citing the multiethnic and multicultural nature of the job as its most compelling feature.

James Muna '12, a government major interested in foreign service, said: "It's not nine to five. It's working on the ground with the populations you're affecting, and that is the ideal job for me."

Added Kwame Siriboe '12, a development sociology major, "I wanted to learn more about the U.N., and I did." With plans to organize a United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) campus initiative at Cornell and to work for UNICEF after graduating, the trip provided him with insight into the organization's goals and the challenges he might face in the future, he said.

Assié-Lumumba noted that Ujamaa Residential Housing Director (RHD) Ken Glover "was a key person in making [the trip] happen" and that Assistant Dean Thomas Noel, RHDs Brian Carroll, Kim Barth and several resident advisers also helped with the trip.

Sponsors included Mews Hall, Hans Bethe House, Ujamaa, City and Regional Planning, International Students and Scholars Office, Faculty Programs in Residential Communities, Student Staff Funding Board, the Graduate School, Humphrey Fellows Programs, the Offices of the Vice President for Student and Academic Services, Dean of Students, and Vice Provost for Undergraduate Education.

Lauren McHugh '10 is a writer intern at the Cornell Chronicle.