In Model UN, as the name suggests, students will model the United Nations — a global organization dedicated to maintaining international peace and security. Each student becomes a representative for a specific country and is given a current world problem, which they must discuss and debate with other countries to reach a consensus.
MUN’s wide range of topics and skills make it possible for students of different goals and interests to participate in MUN.
“There’s something for everyone,” co-president junior Tejasvi Ramanathan said when asked why a student should join Model UN.
MUN not only teaches about topics like diplomacy, current world issues, and the UN itself, but it especially allows the ability to hone a wide set of real-life applicable skills, such as public speaking, research and writing, debate, and collaboration.
Collaboration is an essential part of Model UN. Just like the real United Nations, Model UN would collapse without teamwork and the ability to reach an agreement, even with other people who may have different values.
“The part I love most about Model UN is that you’re not debating to argue with each other,” Ramanathan said. “Instead, you’re trying to work together to find a solution, which makes the whole experience more collaborative and less stressful.”
Huron’s MUN team is currently prepping for their conference in January; specifically, the research portion, which Ramanathan says is one of the most crucial parts of MUN as it acts as the stepping stone for everything that comes after.
“The research is the backbone of Model UN,” junior Satvika Ramanathan, co-president of Model UN said. “Right now, we’re researching our designated country and the country’s stance on the chosen topic, so we’re working on it piece by piece.”
As for hopes, Tejasvi Ramanathan says that she hopes more students will come to try Model UN.
“I think people have lots of preconceived notions about Model UN, but our whole goal is just to build a welcoming community,” Tejasvi Ramanathan said.
Reach out to Tejasvi Ramanathan at [email protected] or Satvika Ramanathan at [email protected] if interested. Huron’s Model UN team meets on Mondays from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. in room 4203.
