Perpetuating the MUN spirit

By Mary Cheng

Strolling on the grass lawn littered by colorful leaves on the Tufts campus, I am more determined than ever to find what I want from life. I am here so that I can make a difference. MUN brought me to Tufts University. It has also brought me to many other places around the world. I traveled halfway around the globe to the Netherlands to attend THIMUN, flew to China for BEIMUN, and to Singapore for THIMUN-Singapore. Each conference is a unique and memorable experience. BEIMUN was the first MUN conference that I had ever attended in my life. I began my MUN career as the delegate of Colombia in the Human Rights Forum and continued in the two following BEIMUN conferences as the Assistant President of Special Conference. BEIMUN was small enough to give new participants an opportunity to speak, yet large enough to give the veterans the challenge of addressing issues at a deeper level. I feel that this conference was where I experienced the most intensive debates. It was exhilarating to see people so engaged and passionate about improving the world. The trip to THIMUN XXXVII in the Hague with AST English teacher Mrs. Stein and a group of six students, representing delegates of the Palestinian National Authority, was fascinating despite the intensive research we had to do. The training at Mr. and Mrs. Stein’s apartment every Sunday morning proved intense and sometimes quite terrifying. The moment we would arrive and put our research folders on the sofa, Ms. Stein would start bombing us with questions about Yasser Arafat, the Fatah, and the Israelis. THIMUN was huge and intimidating to me at first, especially when I represented the delegate of the PNA, fighting for the rights of the Palestinians repressed by the Israelis. However, I felt more confident once I found my allies. What was really exciting about this trip was that the conference was actually held in the World Forum Convention Center, where many international conferences are held. It made MUN even more true to life. My first THIMUN-Singapore, unfortunately, also happened to be my last. The first impression that I had of the conference was that it was very welcoming. As the president of ECOSOC, I, along with my co-chairs, led a forum of about 200 delegates. This leadership opportunity was challenging, yet valuable, because that was the first time that I was in charge of a big forum in a foreign place. The lobbying day was a bit stressful when I and co-presidents were running around between the approval panel and the secretary, trying to make sure that resolutions were ready for debate. I couldn’t even remember how many times I got lost in the huge and mazelike conference. However, the fruitful debate and the productive delegates made this all worthwhile. I have always felt closest to TAIMUN because it was where my MUN career started. I acted as either a chair or Secretary General there for four years. Because my high school, American School in Taichung, hosts the event, I was able to get involved in every way, from secretary training to dinner party planning. TAIMUN is a small two day conference with approximately 50 delegates in each of the 3 forums. A security council was added last year for a more challenging group of delegates. TAIMUN gave MUN participants an immense opportunity to shine. What distinguishes TAIMUN from all the other MUN conferences that I had been to is the Crisis Simulation with all the delegates before the closing ceremony. The advisors and secretaries general cooperated on the crisis issue, which was announced unexpectedly during the debates. Countries immediately involved in the issue were called to a crisis session to come up with a few clauses for debate during the simulation. This improvised debate excited MUN participants and really spiced up the conference. MUN conferences show me how politics is entangled and that it takes a lot of courage and time to try to change the world. Through countless debates, I realized that complaints are not going to bring us anywhere unless suggestions are raised and constructive actions are taken. The world’s problems are also our problems because we are not living alone. All the MUN debates about poverty and human rights have made me start to ask, Why do I deserve more than others? I also realize how lucky I am to be able to receive an education and be so well taken care of at home.MUN education has also engraved in me a stronger love for the place where I live. I want to be active, not passive. Although I am not directly part of the MUN team in university, I am still in related activities such as Required Reading which is a campus publication that calls for awareness of global problems, and several community service groups. I also feel that I have a greater responsibility for society. The MUN spirit is something that I will take with me wherever I go in the future.