In all honesty, when I first joined Model UN (MUN) in Middle School, my primary motivator was to go on a school trip to Whistler. My two older sisters had both enjoyed doing MUN in past years and encouraged me to join, so I thought, “Why not?” Although my reasons for joining were superficial and less academic, after stepping into the grandiose conference halls of my first committee, I was enthralled by the strategy, negotiations, and fast-paced debate of it all.
Despite being nearly paralyzed as a Grade 8 student by having to speak alone in front of a sea of faces all older than mine, I can still remember the relief and satisfaction sitting down after my first speech and hearing a rumble of knocks on the table indicating support from other members of the Western bloc. I was hooked.
And then COVID hit. Conferences went online, meaning no more school trips. Luckily, my new fascination with and appreciation for international relations and diplomacy was now my reason for doing MUN instead of the opportunity to travel. Virtual conferences lacked the human connection and energy of in-person conferences though, and at times it could be disheartening.
Due to the cancellation of these live conferences, a group of SMUS Senior School students organized SMUSMUN for the first time in March 2021. Despite being birthed out of a necessity to keep in-person conferences going, SMUSMUN has persisted and we are now hosting our third event this week (April 14-15).
Last year, I had the honour of being the Under Secretary-General of SMUSMUN. In less pretentious terms, I helped oversee and organize the conference – although last year's Secretary General did most of the heavy lifting. This year, I am the Secretary-General (meaning now I do more of the heavy lifting) and I am proud to say that for the first time, the conference will have delegates from other schools. We will host attendees from St. Margaret's School and Glenlyon Norfolk School. Opening SMUSMUN up to other schools was a natural next step for the conference because more people allows for more specific committees and more dynamic debates. Additionally, one of the greatest parts of any MUN conference is meeting other students with similar interests. I hope that under the leadership of whoever succeeds me, SMUSMUN will continue to flourish, and we can open our doors to other schools with MUN clubs like Mount Douglas or Brentwood College.
One of SMUSMUN’s greatest accomplishments and something that distinguishes itself from the crowd is that it allows participants with limited experience to participate fully. Having a conference that is smaller and more local allows students new to MUN to try it out without investing hours of time into research and travel. This accessibility is so valuable because it allows people to get a sense of what MUN is and if they like it. Moreover, even trying MUN once will help develop lifelong skills. The smaller, more intimate nature of SMUSMUN also allows people to enter committees they might not normally feel comfortable doing.
For example, I tried my first crisis committee at SMUSMUN – something I would have never done at a larger conference. I found I really love crisis committees because they are more fast-paced, rely less on consensus, and the circumstances of the crises constantly change. Not only do I have a great love of crisis committees, I have found them to be a great challenge that pushes my research skills and my ability to think on my feet.
Although I don’t plan on pursuing diplomacy or international relations as a career path, to say MUN hasn’t taught me any life skills would be a disservice. Through debate, MUN has given me confidence in public speaking. Through the forming of blocs, MUN has taught me valuable networking, collaboration and negotiation skills. Through research and participation, MUN has furthered my understanding of the world and exposed me to different cultures and perspectives. Lastly, my experience organizing SMUSMUN and leading a team has taught me leadership and communication skills that will last a lifetime. If you have even the slightest interest in Model UN or developing these valuable life skills, I highly recommend pursuing MUN, as it has been a life-changing experience for me.
