Model UN Reflection

Model United Nations was a great experience for me to undertake, and I had so much fun doing it that I didn't even remember that it served for CAS. I had been interested for years in joining the group, but I never had the guts to try something so unfamiliar to me. I have always known that I've wanted to study international relations, and so this year, as college and CAS are two new burdens, I decided that MUN would be perfect for me. Like some of my other CAS activities, MUN was something truly foreign to me, and I had no idea what exactly would be the requirements of this group. I was still excited about it and decided to devote myself wholeheartedly to this endeavor because it could be incredibly beneficial for my future. My main goal was to gain a further understanding of international relations and how the United Nations functions. While Sturgis does offer an incredible education, we at times lack a good current events instruction, and so MUN was a good chance for me to learn important global issues. Everything we discussed was a matter of international importance, ranging from odious debt to genocide to de-mining to the Caucasus situation. Besides my desire to gain a broader knowledge of our world, I wanted to learn how to work collaboratively with people I had just met to solve important problems. I think that both of my goals were achieved, as I certainly learned a lot about international issues and I was able to work with many others to form a resolution that I fully supported and that passed.

Model United Nations was a huge challenge for me to undertake. From the beginning, I realized that there would be many difficult responsibilities for me to assume. I had to write first a country paper, which required great research, and then a position paper, which required even more intense research and lengthy analysis. It was almost like taking another class, but it was certainly worth it, as I learned all about Macedonia and important international issues. Needless to say, I developed many new skills in writing United Nations-style position papers and learning how to debate important topics, which I was able to apply to the committee session where I also had to learn the entire procedure of MUN. It was strenuous and difficult, but I fully enjoyed it.

The actual Model United Nations trip to the conference in New York City for four days was a fantastic experience. I loved learning how to do moderated and unmoderated caucuses, express my views, and ally with the people who had similar opinions. I really became more comfortable with my voice, as I spoke six times during moderated caucuses and felt that I truly understood the problems with odious debt. I did realize however that I needed to work on not only speaking reiterated rhetoric, but being an innovative public speaker with revolutionary ideas. I loved the unmoderated caucuses, where we pooled our ideas and worked together for a common resolution to an international crisis. It was so interesting to hear the varying points-of-view from different countries, and it was challenging to listen to somebody's speech and then consider the ethical implications of their proposal, thus making a personal deduction that was supposed to be for the benefit of everyone.

Model United Nations was truly incredible and I can't wait to do it again next year with even more tenacity. I learned so much about our world and its issues, and it was a great outlet of creativity through something I love, international relations. It even seemed to do service to the world, even if the resolutions really had no effect on the decisions of actual UN delegates. I am so proud that I met my goals and stayed committed to MUN, even when times were difficult.