On October 8th, 30 students from the BIF Model UN club attended the Gunn High School Model UN Conference (GMUNC). Through MUN, students are able to deepen their knowledge of current world affairs by thoroughly researching important topics such as the impact of the biochemical weapons in the Russia-Ukraine war and the effects of COVID-19 on international economies. With GMUNC being the first conference of this school year, returning members of the club were able to get a refresher on MUN procedures, while new members were able to experience how a typical conference works.
From bright and early at 8 a.m. all the way to 5 p.m. in the evening, our BIFU MUN members were filled with excitement and nerves, working diligently to come up with solutions to world problems in collaborative committees. Countless numbers of resolutions were written, and most of them were passed in session (Joleen’s was not passed; she is still salty about it). Many of the delegates were able to arrange their ideas and express their thoughts to other countries, thanks to the research done beforehand.
We interviewed several students about their expectations and experiences.
Selena Peng
I am feeling extremely excited that I was able to start the new school year at GMUNC with all my friends in Model UN! I look forward to working together with all my fellow delegates at this and future conferences.
I am not expecting much, but I do hope that the people from BIF MUN will have fun and learn new things about their topic at GMUNC. I am also expecting to meet many new friends from all over the bay area and collaborate with them.
I researched a lot of background on the topic by annotating my research sources and I wrote a position paper on it.
I feel that it makes the conference feel like an actual UN conference because everyone is dressed formally.
I like spending time with my friends and learning about different countries’ stances on a variety of policy ideas.
Chloe Kwan and Ethan Chu
Chloe: I thought the conference was a good way to start off this year and polish my skills. I hope to grow from this experience and improve for the next conferences. Ethan: The conference was well designed, but it was mainly aimed at novice delegates. The topics were interesting because they focused on recent events, and because of that, some countries get the spotlight even more than others.
Chloe: My favorite memory was when my fellow delegations
had to spit out gum; we chewed gum in a place
where we weren’t supposed to eat food. That funny
moment resonates with me.
Ethan: My favorite part of the conference was teaming up with other countries that shared similar views,
even though Iran, my country, is generally perceived
as “bad”.
Chloe: I hope to improve on solution writing skills
using SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, Time-bound) goals. I also hope to improve my
impromptu speeches in future conferences.
Ethan: I hope to write more in the resolution so I can
present it in front of all the delegates in my committee next time.
Joleen Pan and Amanda Wu
Joleen: GMUNC is the fifth Model conference that I’ve attended since I joined the club. As a delegate, I believe this conference highlighted areas where I could improve, especially when doing research in relation to my country’s policies. I also realized mid-committee that I was lacking some knowledge of Canada’s policies, which hindered my performance. As the president of MUN, I also see areas of growth the whole club can focus on, such as crafting resolutions. Overall, I believe this conference was a great starter for those who attended.
Amanda: With GMUNC being my first conference ever, I was able to expand my knowledge on Model UN by researching my committee’s topic with my partner, Isha, and discussing possible solutions about the biological weapons used in the Russia-Ukraine war with other delegates. It was a great experience and I hope to attend more conferences in the future.