A club that relies on public speaking and interaction. A club that allows an open forum for the exploration of morals and international issues. The embodiment of all of these is Model United Nations, or MUN for short.
MUN fosters intellectual conversation to flow between your peers and students from other schools. You’re able to research issues involving other countries and share how your solution is best at cross-school competitions. From an academic standpoint, MUN teaches you proper research and speech writing skills. It helps improve your public speaking abilities and, let’s face it, it looks great on college applications.
MUN offers unique insights into how countries resolve their issues. The real-world United Nations (UN) is an influential international organization that holds a lot of legitimacy. Learning and truly understanding how it works can be very helpful in your life and the best way to do this is by participating in MUN. Whether you need to apply it to another class or impress your family with your newfound knowledge, the information and connections you gain in MUN are beneficial to many aspects of your current and future life.
In an interview with current co-secretary general Samantha Jeffery, she stated that not only does MUN teach her about the goings on of the world but it also “taught [her] about [her] morals through researching sides of issues, as well as realizing that they aren’t black and white really ever, hence why there are different sides to ever issues.” Through her extensive research in numerous political and international issues, she’s learned more about who she is as a person– and not just academically. She’s discovered where she stands politically and understands that that standpoint doesn’t solidify an opinion in our varying world.
To join MUN, prospective members must submit a brief video of yourself speaking about a global issue you are interested and passionate about. According to last year’s prospective delegate email regarding the applications, “In the video, talk about the topic, why you are passionate about it, and any potential solutions you have… No topic is too big or too small, we just want to hear your voice!” The application process allows the club to weed out those less passionate about participating in MUN as well as allows the potential member to have insight into what the club is about.
Model UN is a club where students have the chance to learn about global politics and issues from multiple different perspectives. At conferences all over the city, you become a country, debating and creating solutions to benefit both your country and the world. They also hold debates within the club, which give you the chance to see what you are really passionate about in front of people you know. They meet every Thursday for an hour, every meeting being mandatory. MUN is a club that is a wonderful opportunity and experience with many benefits, I hope you consider joining second semester.
