On April 1st, Menlo-Atherton Model United Nations (MAMUN) caught people’s attention by winning five awards at the 2023 Nueva MUN Conference (NMUNC). MAMUN meets every Monday at lunch in G-13 and attends local MUN conferences throughout the year. With each delegate representing a different country, these conferences mimic actual United Nations conferences as students try to work together and find solutions to global issues. The following students won awards during the Nueva MUN Conference:
Lilah Chen – Best Research (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development), Delegate Honorable Mention
Ella Thomson – Best Research (United States Senate)
Arden Margulis – Best Delegate (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development)
Allegra Hoddie – Best Delegate (United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees)
Delegates often have to tackle difficult and controversial discussions. Sophomore Ella Thomson said, “We discussed gun control in the Model Senate, which was difficult in some ways because I had to represent opinions that weren’t my own.” Sophomore Allegra Hoddie added, “I found a lot of nuanced and creative solutions expressed during debate. I had a great experience upholding my country’s beliefs while still collaborating with others.”
There are also a variety of committees available for delegates to participate in. Sophomore Lilah Chen said, “The Crisis Committee deals with a specific emergency in the UN such as the French Revolution or an alien invasion.”
A lot of preparation goes into getting ready for a conference, and students learn a variety of new skills. Hoddie said, “I’ve become a better leader and collaborator, researched countries and international topics, and, most importantly, gained more confidence in my public speaking skills.” Thomson added, “I think being able to give a good speech is one of the central points of Model UN.”
Although there is a lot of hard work involved, Model UN is also full of fun. Hoddie said, “My favorite part of Model UN is definitely meeting new people at conferences. I love getting to dress up and discuss actual problems with a variety of people bringing in different perspectives.” Chen said, “I really enjoyed spending time with the M-A delegation during lunch.”
MAMUN had victories at the Nueva MUN Conference, but they are far from finished. Thomson said, “It’s nice to think that our club has grown from a small group of confused high schoolers to people who win awards, but we definitely have a long way to go with being more organized and reaching new people at M-A.”
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