By Alyssa Choo

The current admin staff of THIMUN Singapore 2014 are all high school students of the Hwa Chong Institution. They serve as the basis of the conference to ensure that the whole conference runs as expected. They are constantly on the run to make sure we have the best experience yet!

Thomas Toh, Grade 11

Thomas Toh is the Executive Admin Officer of this year’s THIMUN Singapore. He looks after the admin at the General Assembly committees, special committees, and all areas of logistics to make sure that everything is going according to plan. Registrations were particularly difficult for Thomas and his admin crew, as this vast campus overwhelms those new to the location. There were last minute venue changes that took place prior to the commencement of the conference and he had to hastily brief the admins in order for this large operation of a thousands students to go smoothly. So, what is the best part of Thomas’ role as the Executive Admin Officer this year? Well, he gets the opportunity to meet people from all over the globe participating in different committees. If he were to add up the distances travelled this whole conference, Thomas has estimated it to be around 10km walking, and 5km running. Quite the marathon!

Benjamin Tan, Grade 10

As a member of the Public Relations Admin department for the conference, Benjamin Tan is perched in the middle of the SALT Centre, ready to assist everyone with their registrations and general queries. Although he is stationed at one place for most of the conference, this does not at all come in the way of the best part of his job: getting the opportunity to work with absolutely everyone: from directors, to students, to fellow admin staff, you name it! The conference has just commenced, but Benjamin has already faced multiple struggles with some disrespectful, frantic individuals. (Those facing severe jet lag, we’ll let you off on that one.) Initial challenges aside, Benjamin is extremely excited about the rest of the conference.

Yi Xuan, Grade 9

Yi Xuan, another member of the Public Relations Admin department, discusses his first year at THIMUN Singapore as admin staff, and talks about how he is extremely excited about interacting with people from different countries on a daily basis. From the start of the conference, the number of people at the front desk of the SALT Centre has fluctuated. There were some instances when they had absolutely nothing to do at the front desk, in comparison to later moments of endless queues of people. Xuan is keen on learning a wide range of new skills from his fellow admin staff who have a large amount of experience.

Wei Shin Heng, Grade 10

Deputy Head of the ICJ committee, Wei Shin Heng tends to the needs of the members of the ICJ. This includes issues pertaining to problems with wifi, organization of furniture, and telling people to keep the noise levels down when they get caught up in the excitementspectacle of being a part of this conference. Although it may seem as though he stays within the confinements of the ICJ committee room, Wei Shin has climbed endless flights of stairs trying to transport podiums from one place to another due to venue changes. He is very interested in the proceedings that take place in ICJ. As this is his second year of participation, one piece of advice that he could give to those new to the admin crew is that commitment is absolutely key. Despite the multiple struggles that the admin face, if they approach it with passion they can overcome anything.

You Xuan, 2nd year and Yuan Hao, 1st year

Both You Xuan and Yuan Hao are currently Secretariat Admin staff. They are responsible for the endless resolutions that need to be printed in every committee and the signs that direct everyone to the place they need to be. The main people they interact with are, essentially, the officers of committees. They have quite a flexible day with their own air-conditioned room, until they face their biggest challenge: the jamming of the printer. One skill that they will definitely have conquered by the end of this committee is finding all ways possible to fix printing issues.

(You Xuan, 2nd year and Yuan Hao, 1st year)