MUNITY-East

By Sekheena, Mont’ Kiara International School

In addition to debates on monetary funding, analogies bordering on inappropriate permeated the debates of General Assembly 5 (GA5). The President of GA5, Thammatat Vorawandthanachai (Rumrudee International School), said that the committee members used a lot of entertaining metaphors in their speeches, the best being: “This resolution is like Kim Kardashian’s relationship: it isn’t going to work out in the end.”

Deputy Chairs Look Woon Wei (Hwa Chong Institution) and Yvonne Yi-Fan Hsiao (Shanghai American School Puxi) agreed that the delegates were entertaining themselves with myriad innuendos. “Someone said ‘this resolution is like a Justin Bieber song: the more you listen to it, the more stupid it gets,’” remembered Hsiao. Other analogies included “This resolution is like a juicy sausage but without the juice,” and “This resolution is like a doughnut: it goes round and round but has a big hole in the middle.”

But just because they use analogies doesn’t mean the debates are any less serious. Krrish Kothari (Dhirubhai Ambani International School), the delegate of France, gave a heated speech against a resolution on the issue of Financing of the United Nations Mission in the Sudan. “I only pointed out the flaws clause by clause. They were really offended, but I don’t think that I was being offensive at all!”

Overall GA5 is filled with intense debate that is as entertaining as it is substantial.  As Regan Plekenpol, of Munity Press said, “GA5 is like Jersey Shore: they are always dealing with ‘the Situation.’”

The Chairs:

By HoJai Yoon, Concordia International School Shanghai 

Close your eyes, and slowly count how many MUN conferences you have been to. How many can you count? How far have you roamed the world for MUN?

Art by Christine Lin American School in Taichung

The history of Model United Nations dates back to the 1920s. Today, with its growing popularity, there are an estimated 400 MUN conferences held worldwide. As the development of transportation and communication makes the modern world a global village without boundaries, various MUN conferences around the globe attract an ever-growing number of participants.

Among various renowned and respected conferences, THIMUN firmly stands as a gateway for high school students to enter the broader spectrum of MUN conferences. Since its establishment in 1981, THIMUN has continually broadened its boundaries from the Hague to Singapore, and now even to Qatar. Janie Jang from Concordia International School, the delegate of the Republic of Korea in the Special Conference on Crime and Punishment at 2011 THIMUN-Qatar, applauds this conference, because “it offers various committees that I could not experience before in Singapore.” Besides THIMUN, a great number of larger conferences allow students to experience a greater diversity of cultures and opinions. Iris Kong from Nagoya International School, the delegate of Singapore in General Assembly 5, comments that she enjoyed BEIMUN because of “its leniency in allowing follow-ups that help each delegate discuss issues in depth.”

However, quantity does not always equal quality. Smaller conferences around the world can offer students with more chances to directly involve themselves in the debating process and communicate more deeply with delegates. Justina Huang from Shanghai American School-Puxi, delegate of Lebanon in the Security Council, says, “SHAMUN, a conference annually held at my school, offers a variety of committee options despite its small size. Furthermore, it is very concentrated in that it allows students to directly involve themselves in both debates and the administration of MUN itself.”

Each MUN conference around the world has its unique style. In order to assist MUN-ers with information regarding the diverse conferences options, a splendid website, www.bestdelegate.com, provides maps for MUN all over the world. The website provides visitors with not only lists of MUN conferences, but also with national and international rankings of MUN teams, strategies to win MUN debates, and recently updated information regarding MUN conferences.

Therefore, delegates must remember that there are various MUN options, because each conference give participants new learning experiences. Regardless of its size, each conference provides a valuable experience for participants to promote global awareness and meet with people from diverse cultural backgrounds. With a little guidance from www.bestdelegate.com, participants will be able to expand their scope of MUN experiences.

By Chrsitine Choi, Korea International School 

Photo credit: Judy Park of International School of Beijing

Kevin Chen (American School in Taichung), the Deputy President of the Security Council (SC) announced “Are there any

delegates who wish to volunteer? Seeing none, India—you have been recognized.” The alarmed expression of the delegate of India brought an echo of light laughter in the middle of the serious exchange of ideas running back and forth among the students.

The Security Council is responsible for discussing global issues such as foreign aid programs and tourism. “Its primary objective is to propose solutions that are ideally agreed upon by different countries,” added Seung Yeon Kim (Hankuk Academy of Foreign Studies), the delegate of the United Kingdom. Agreement is complicated when five countries—China, U.K., France, Russia, and the U.S.—have the power to veto.

Sitting on opposite sides, two groups of delegates were sharing their countries’ stances on providing South Sudan with financial

support. The debate was getting hotter when William Chen (Shanghai American School – Puxi ), the delegate of Lebanon, claimed that providing free health check-ups is unreasonable since MRIs are too expensivethese days; his statement was challenged by another delegate, who argued that his example was too specific. When Chen seemed to admit the minor flaw in his rhetoric, the harsh atmosphere in the room suddenly disappeared, and students began to chuckle in friendly camaraderie.

It is certainly easy for participants to get tense when they have to voice their countries’ beliefs in front of many other people.

However, small glitches during the conference helped them to loosen up and relieve their fear. For example, when the Deputy President realized that not all countries voted for a clause,he had to address each country individually; this gave some time for the delegates to take a rest from their long talks. Similarly, when asked if there were other memorable moments during the conference, many students replied that it was entertaining to watch Aaron Willis (German European School), the delegate of the Russian Federation, accidentally refer to Confucius as an example of a British quote. Although many participants were afraid of making trivial mistakes, these blunders actually made the delegates feel more comfortable amid the heated debates.

Humorous and memorable happenings set aside, the delegates of the Security Council worked hard to solve many international problems. For the remaining days of THIMUN Singapore, they will continue solving problems to build a better future.

By Regan Plekenpol, Photographs by Judy Wan

Sick and tired of all the black, grey, and button-downs, the press team decided to scout out some fashion outliers.

These delegates impressed us with a unique flair and an uncanny ability to dress with modesty and style. After interviewing the top four “Fashion Winners,” we have uncovered some secrets of their success.

#1: Claudette Van Maarschalkerweerel, Delegate for China, GA6, from Overseas Family School in Singapore.

Modesty, in Claudette’s opinion, is not difficult. “You don’t have to show everything to look cool,” she voiced as she posed in her simple navy dress and cheetah print flats. “You can be modest and stylish at the same time. I love what I’m wearing, and it’s so comfortable!” Claudette completed her look by adding a matching bag and shoes to show her mixed, spontaneous personality.

#2: Justine Huang, Delegate for Lebanon, Security Council, from Shanghai American School Puxi. 

“MUN is about “60% comfort, 40% style” to Justine, who caught our eye with a striking green top and a unique ‘carrousel’ necklace, which exhibited her fun-loving personality. She believes that, though delegates have to look professional,

stressful conferences make comfort another critical factor.

#3: Mikaela Zimmermann, Delegate for Libya, GA6, from Saigon Southern International School in Vietnam. 

Mikaela’s bright dress was certainly eye-catching. Like Austin, she believes that comfort is crucial in long conferences. She noted that her dress displayed her personality because, though it is not overly extravagant, it still shows her bright, confident temperament.

#4: Austin Gillette, Delegate for Afghanistan, GA2, from International School of Phnom Penh. 

Austin had a laid-back disposition—a simple black suit and striking tie. He noted that, because he “looks good most of the time anyway,” comfort was his main priority in the conference. To show his individualism, he wears a personal necklace, and un-tucks his shirt whenever he can.

So, delegates, you should use these examples to help you add some spice to your outfits! Remember that it’s not impossible to keep your style in check at THIMUN.